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• »

OUK FRIENDS IN HEAVEN.

OUR FRIENDS IN HEAVEN;

OB,

THE MUTUAL RECOGNITION OP THE REDEEMED IN

GLORY DEMONSTRATED.

BY

J. M. KILLEN, D.D.,

ct

AUTHOR OF " OUR COMPANIONS IN GLORY, ETC., BTO.

Non amittuntur sed pwemittuntnr.— Skneca.

Jfiftetnth (Ebiiurn.

LONDON:
JAMES NISBET & CO., 21 BERNERS STREET.

1873.

/A/. <h-i. . /Jf-9 .

TO
OF HIS BELOVED FRIEND,

THE LATE

REV. HENRY JACKSON DOBBIN, D.D.,

BALLYMENA,

IN THE SURE AND CHEERING HOPE THAT THE
FELLOWSHIP THEY ENJOYED ON EARTH WILL YET BE RENEWED,

AND

FOR EVER PERPETUATED IN THE HEAVENLY WORLD,
THIS TREATISE IS DEDICATED

BY

®fr* %ni\[ai*

Jesus saith, " Thy brother shall rise again."— John xi 28%

PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION.

This is a book for those whose friends, though
once on earth, have now "passed into the
heavens." The subject of which it treats must
ever prove intensely interesting, so long as death
continues to desolate our hearts and homes. It
is, therefore, rather strange that the doctrine of
mutual recognition in the world to come, which
commends itself so much to the tenderest feelings
of our natufe, and which appeals so entirely to
the Scriptures for support, should not have had
the evidence in its favour developed long ago.
Some, indeed — not aware of the virulent opposi-
tion it has encountered from certain sceptical
writers — have thought the discussion of it almost
unnecessary, being more willing to rejoice in the
consolation it affords than to examine the founda-
tion on which it rests. The uncertainty, however

>:•

**.

V1U ' PREFACE.

prevailing in some minds, and the positive infi-
delity existing in others, with regard to it, have
rendered it necessary that the whole subject should
undergo a thorough investigation, and that the
evidence in its favour should be so fully exhibited
as to place the doctrine henceforth amongst the
established verities of the Christian faith.

That this has been successfully accomplished
in the following treatise the Author is not so
presumptuous as to aver. He has, however,
endeavoured to present to his readers the testi-
mony of the Scriptures, with regard to the doctrine
in question, more fully than he believes has yet
been done. Several works of varied excellence
have already appeared on the same subject, but
their esteemed authors seem to have applied them-
selves to the establishment of the truth by general
reasonings, rather than by a full exposition of
" what saith the Lord " regarding it. The Author
of the present work has attempted to supply this
" lack of service " — with what success it must be
left to others to determine. In his exhibition
of evidence, he has examined consecutively the
various portions of revelation which bear upon
the point, having followed in this particular —
so far as the nature of his work permitted — the

.■*

■ ■ iT . «

PEEFACE. JX

method adopted by Dr Pye Smith in his "Testi-
mony to the Messiah."

The exposition of his principal subject has
led the Author to discuss, more or less fully,
several collateral questions of an interesting and
important kind. Amongst these he would espe-
cially refer to the Resurrection Body, (see Part
II. chap, i.) as a topic on which much popular
ignorance and error prevail, and which he has
endeavoured to exhibit in its true and Scriptural
character.

Should it be found that the attempt here made
to establish the doctrine of mutual recognition
amongst the redeemed in glory has been in any
measure successful, the Author must attribute
such success, not so much to any peculiar fitness
he naturally possessed for the exposition of the
subject, as to the afflictive dispensations through
which he has passed. Having, in the providence
of God, been subjected to successive and severe
bereavements both of kindred and friends, and
having thus had the roots of his affections cut
deeper than most others, he was driven in the
depths of his desolation to examine the matter
more thoroughly than he would, in all probability,
ever otherwise have done. To the inspired volume

3 PREFACE.

— the source of all saving truth, and fountain of
all satisfying consolation, he repaired, and having
had its wells of living water opened up to him
by the Great Comforter Himself, he desires to
lead the fainting and tried believer to those same
streams of blessed consolation by which his own
soul was so abundantly strengthened and refreshed.
Imploring, then, the Divine blessing on his
book, the writer presents it to the bereaved in
Israel, as the fruit, he trusts, of not altogether
unsanctified affliction. Should its readers derive
aught of the comfort from its perusal which its
Author has experienced in its preparation, he
will be abundantly satisfied. And to God be

ALL THE PRAISE.

Comber Manse, October 1854.

NOTE TO THE THIRTEENTH EDITION.

This work having passed through twelve large
Editions, it has been found necessary to recast the
stereotype plates. The Publisher has availed him-
self of this circumstance to issue the book at a re-
duction of nearly one-fourth in the price, in order
to increase its usefulness by a still more extended
circulation. The Author has not found it neces-
sary to make any alterations of importance. He
has been greatly cheered by the accounts he has
received from nearly all sections of the Church, of
the acceptance and usefulness of the work ; and
with deepest gratitude to God for the favour He
has already shown it, and praying that it may
continue to be accompanied with His blessing,
the writer again presents it to the sons and
daughters of affliction, as the exposition of a truth

Xll NOTE.

which has been found to yield most precious
consolation to the bereaved but believing heart.

In conclusion, he would beg leave to refer those
of his readers who may wish to obtain information
regarding the other inhabitants of Heaven, to his
treatise on " Our Companions in Glory, or Society
in Heaven Contemplated," lately published, in
which he has endeavoured to exhibit the fullest
and most scriptural view of the various orders of
Heavenly Intelligences yet presented to the Church.

CONTENTS.

PART L-EVIDENCE AND ARGUMENTS IN FAVOUR OF THE MUTUAL
RECOGNITION OF THE REDEEMED IN GLORY.

CHAPTER L

PAQM

Section I. Introductory Observation* — Recognition in Heaven.
Section II. Nature and Basis of the Doctrine. Section IIL
Recognition, a Truth Generally Received, especially by the Pious
— Its Consolatory Tendency— Dismal Consequences of repudiat-
ing it. Section IV. Continuance of Memory in the World to
Come— Necessity for its Exercise. Section V. Friendship Per-
petuated in Heaven—The Saviour's Favourites— Strength of His
Affection — Lazarus, though Dead, a Friend — Ties of Grace
Stronger and more Lasting than those of Nature — Uniformity
and Diversity in Heaven — Individual Attachments Consistent
with a Supreme Love to God— Archbishop Whately on Particu-
lar Friendships in Heaven, 21-45

CHAPTER II.— EVIDENCE FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT.

Section I. nature of the Scriptural Evidence to be expected on this
Subject— Amount and Character of Scripture Testimony, how
Regulated— Direct and Indirect Evidences— Their Value— Doa-

XIV CONTENTS.

PAOl

trines of Inference— Truths of Natural Theology such. Section
1L Evidence Furnished by Thb Pentateuch — Abraham, though
•'Gathered to his People," not buried with them— Cases of
Isaac, and of Moses, and Aaron— Job's Rich Man not "Gathered"
— Critical Decision of Gesenius — Proper Meaning of Jacob's
Resolution regarding Joseph. Section III. Testimony of David
— His Conduct a Source of Comfort, and a Lesson to the Saints.
Section IV. Evidence from the Prophetical Books — Recogni-
tion among the Lost — The King of Babylon in Hell — Conversa-
tion with Pharaoh in Hell— King of Assyria in Hell— Poetic
Descriptions true — Apocalyptic Pictures of Heaven and
Hell 46-e»

CHAPTER III.— EVIDENCE FROM THE GOSPELS.

Section I. Evidence from the Discourses of our Lord. The right
Use of Money — Investing for Eternity — The Cup of Water
Remembered— The Men of Nineveh. Section II. Evidence from
the Transfiguration Scene— An Epitome of the Church in
Glory— The Body of Moses not at the Transfiguration — A Dis-
embodied Saint Conversing — Knowledge of Earth in Heaven.
Section HI. Evidence from The Parables— The Rich Man and
Lazarus — Truth in Parables — How Christ began a Parable—
This not a Parable — A View of Spirit-Land — Recognition be-
twixt Saved and Lost. Section IV. Evidence from The Mira-
cles of Christ— His Miracles Types — Death not "the debt
of Nature "—Design of Christ's Miracles— Widow of Nain's Son
—A picture Described — The Restoration— When the Com-
mand, "Follow me," was not Enforced— A Mother's Love —
—Jesus will yet Restore— The "Only Child" Restored— Resto-
ration with every Resurrection. Section V. Evidence from The
Judgment — Individualisation in Judgment — Judgment Re-
quires Recognition — The Saints will Judge. Section VL
Evidence from the Saviour's Delineations of Heaven— Heaven
our Home— A Social Scene in Heaven— The Lost will See the
Saved— The Saints a Happy Family— " Abraham's Bosom"—
Present Relations of the Saints in Glory towards each other.
Section VIL Recapitulation and Review of Evidence — A Glimpse
of Heavenly Life— Memory in Hell—The Judgment Scene —
—The Divine Family at Home. , «... 70-114

CONTENTS. XV

CHAPTER IV.— EVIDENCE PROM THE EPISTLES AND

APOCALYPSE.

PAGB

Paul in Heaven— Family Communion in Heaven— The Home-
Gathering— The Final Presentation — Comfort for the Bereaved —
The Companion Heirs— Aim of Pastoral Labour— Paul Present-
ing his Hearers — The Pastor's Crown — Stimulus to Ministerial
Zeal— Evidence from the Apocalypse — What Martyrs now Know
— Apocalyptic Minuteness, 115-128

CHAPTER V.— HEAVENLY RECOGNITION NECESSARY TO
HEAVENLY PERFECTION.

Elements of Heavenly Bliss. Section I. Heavenly Recognition
necessary to Heavenly Love— hove in Heaven — Eternity of Love.
Section II. Future Recognition Necessary to the Completeness of
cur Future Seward — The Reaping and Sowing — Fresh Arrivals
— Successive Labourers — Rejoicing together. Section III.
Heavenly Recognition Necessary to the Retention and Perfection
of our Knowledge, and also to the Enjoyment of Heavenly Com-
munion — Knowledge Increased in Heaven — Heavenly Fellow-
ship—Earthly Historians — Heavenly Teachings — Eve's Creed —
Saintly Disclosures — Spiritual Heroes — Individual Histories.
Section IV. Heavenly Recognition Necessary to the perfect Appre-
ciation of God's Providences — Dark Providences — Heavenly
Watchers— Celestial Tutors— The Polishing— All Well, . 120-153

PART H.-0BJECTI0NS TO FUTURE RECOGNITION ANSWERED.

Introduction — Objections to Recognition — Their Source and
Value, 157-159

CHAPTER I.— OBJECTION FIRST.— THE CHANGE WE UNDERGO
AT DEATH.— NATURE OF THE RESURRECTION BODY.

The Change at Death — Our Humanity Continued— Humanity
Evolved— Our Resurrection Bodies — Christ's Body the Model—

XVI CONTENTS.

PAOB

" That Same Jesus "—Marks of Identity— Thomas's Scepticism-
Flesh and Bones— The Eyes Holden— The Spiritual Body like
Christ's— The Glorified Body, Spiritual yet Material— The Animal
Body, what?— The Spiritual Body, what?— Mary Magdalene Re-
cognising by the Voice— The Doors Shut— The Difficulty Solved
— The Stone Boiled away— New Capacities— Our Identity Per-
petuated, 160-181

CHAPTER n.— OBJECTION SECOND.— CHRIST'S ANSWER TO
THE SADDUCEES REGARDING MARRIAGE.

Why Marriage will Cease — Christ's Answer Explained— Union to
Christ — Separation Increasing Love— Relationships of Earth
Remembered in Heaven- Natural Feelings made Instrumental
in the Bestowment of Spiritual Blessings, .... 182-188

CHAPTER III.— OBJECTION THIRD.— CHRIST ALONE WILL
ENGAGE OUR ATTENTION IN HEAVEN.

Anecdote Embodying this Objection— Mistakes— The Saints Busy
in Heaven — Nature of Christ's Glory — How Christ is Glorified —
Illustrations — The Heavenly Mirrors — The Two Loves Com-
patible— The "New Commandment" in Heaven, . . 189-197

CHAPTER IV.— OBJECTION FOURTH— THE SIGHT OF THE
LOST WOULD CAUSE PAIN IN HEAVEN.

Christ the most Sensitive — Torment in Presence of the Lamb-
Punishment a Cause of Praise in Heaven— Earth-Ties Perish—
The Wicked a Nuisance, 198-204

PART IIL-THE PRACTICAL INFLUENCES OF MUTUAL
RECOGNITION AFTER DEATH.

Introduction— Tendency of the Doctrine we have been Con-
sidering, 207-208

CONTENTS. *Xvii

CHAPTER L— RECOGNITION IN HEAVEN A SOURCE

OP COMPORT.

PAOB

Parting for a Time— Blighted Hopes— Gone Home— Condition in
Glory— Present Trials— The Haven Entered, . . . 209-215

CHAPTER II.— OUR FRIENDS IN HELL.

Mutual Recognition there — Preaching of the Great Murderer—
PreacLxng of Christ— A Fireside Missionary— Save your Friends
— A Dark Side — Impossible to Dwell Unknown in Hell— Mutual
Accusers — Preparing Tormentors — Fearful Upbraidings — End-
less Reproaches— A Christian, what?— No Holiness, no Heaven, 216-228

CHAPTER III.— HEAVENLY RECOGNITION IN REFERENCE TO
THE SELECTION OF FRIENDS AND THE FORMATION OP
THE NUPTIAL UNION.

Ungodly Company — Saintly Associates — Extracts from Baxter —
Separation from the World — The Nuptial Union— Law of Mar-
riage—Inconsistencies—Evils of Temporising— Ungodly Unions
—Their Injurious Effects — Everlasting Separation — Scripture
"Warnings — Extremes — The Chief Concern — Consolations of
Mutual Piety, 229-243

CHAPTER IV.— THE HOPE OF HEAVENLY RECOGNITION AN
INCENTIVE TO THE CULTIVATION OF HEAVENLY-MINDED-

NESS.

Heavenly Musings — Recognition of Christ — The Believer's Position
—Saintly Meditation, 244-248

CHAPTER V.— THE PROSPECT OF RECOGNITION AND COM-
PANIONSHIP IN HEAVEN CONDUCIVE TO MUTUAL FOR-
BEARANCE AMONGST CHRISTIANS ON EARTH.

Mutual Forbearance — Conquering by Love — The Family Motto-
Expostulation — Necessity of Love — The Divine Sympathy-
Concluding Entreaty, 249-255

XVill CONTENTS.

CHAPTER VI.— THE QUALIFICATIONS NECESSARY FOR
MEETING OUR FRIENDS IN HEAVEN.

PAOB

Our Natural Condition— Condemned Already— The Ransom — An
Important Distinction — What Saves from Hell— What Gets
Heaven— The Heavenly Title— The Heavenly Training— Christ
our Sanctification— The Qualifications how Obtained, • 256-264

APPENDIX.

I. The Doctrine of Mutual Recognition after Death a Truth Ac-
knowledged by the Heathen. II. A Doctrine of the Christian
Church, 265-272

NOTES.

Note I. On the Meaning of the Hebrew word Sheol, p. 56. Note II.
On the Supposed Resurrection of Moses, p. 76. Note III. Calvin on
the History of Dives and Lazarus, p. 82. Note IV. On Paul's Ascen-
sion to Heaven, p. 115. Note V. True Exposition of Eve's Declaration
on the Birth of Cain, p. 142. Note VI. On the Age of Isaac at the
Time of his Intended Sacrifice by Abraham, p. 145. Note VII. On
the Instruction Communicated in Heaven to Newly Arrived Saints,
p. 150. Note VIII. Ideas of the Greeks with Regard to the Bodies
of the Immortals, p. 174. Note IX. How the Blind will Recognise
each other in Heaven, p. 176. Note X. Testimony of the Thirty-nine
Articles and the Larger Catechism regarding Christ's Resurrection
Body, p. 179. Note XL Remarks of Dr Whately on the Future Power
of Withdrawing our Thoughts from the Lost, p. 203.

PAKT I.
EVIDENCE AND ARGUMENTS

IN FAVOUR OF THE

MUTUAL RECOGNITION OF THE REDEEMED

IN GLORY.

OUE FEIENDS IN HEAVEN.

CHAPTEE I.

L — INTRODUCTORY OBSERVATIONS.

Bereaved disciple of the Saviour ! — hearken
to us, whilst we speak to you of your Beloved
Dead. Think not that your friends and kin-
dred in Christ, of whom death has robbed you,
are lost to you for ever. They are now your
Sainted treasures — precious as the heavenly in-
heritance itself; and when you yourself enter
that " purchased possession," you will find them
there. We know that, though unseen, they are
still the objects of your holiest emotions, as you

22 RECOGNITION IN HEAVEN.

think of them moving amongst " the Spirits of
the Just made perfect," or hope to be the sharers
of their eternal joy.

Follow us, then, as we lead you to the Word
of God, and, from its inspired pages, prove that
you will yet recognise your beloved ones who
have gone to Jesus; and that when, through
grace, you yourself reach the land of the Im-
mortals, they and you shall — in the bonds of
a restored and unbroken fellowship — rejoice to-
gether, and for ever, amongst " the Saints in
light."

Our great object, therefore, in the following
pages, will be, to demonstrate from the Holy
Scriptures the reality of the Saints' mutual re-
cognition and renewed companionship in heaven ;
so that the afflicted Christian may feel convinced
that, in cherishing this " blessed hope," he is not
the victim of a mere delusion or diseased ima-
gination, nor the dupe of a speculation, which,
however beautiful, is yet baseless, but the pos-
sessor of one of the most precious truths to be

NATURE OF THE DOCTRINE. 23

found in the entire of that "sure word of pro-
phecy," whereunto it is his privilege to " take
heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place."

H. — NATURE AND BASIS OF THE DOCTRINE.

We would not, however, have it for a moment
supposed that the recognition and fellowship for
which we plead are to be considered as the con-
tinuance or perpetuation of any merely earthly
relations. The ties of affinity and blood will have
no existence in the world to come, and the rela-
tive and animal affections have not the stamp of
immortality impressed upon them.

When, then, in the following treatise, we shall
speak of the continuance of Friendship, and of
the existence of specific affection beyond the
grave, we must be understood as referring only to
such attachments as belong essentially to our im-
mortal nature — to such merely as have been puri-
fied, cemented, and sanctified by the Spirit of the
Lord

24 BASIS OF THE DOCTRINE.

The friendship and fellowship of which we
treat, find the bonds of their perpetuity in Vital
Union to Jesus Christ; for it is the Mystical
Union which exists betwixt the Saviour and His
people that constitutes the true basis of that holy
friendship and everlasting fellowship which will
Obtain amongst the redeemed in glory. When
united to Christ, believers are also united to each
other ; from this mutual union arises a reciprocal
communion ; and as their union to one another is
eternal, the communion, thence resulting, will be
everlasting also.

We are thus anxious, at the very beginning of
our work, to prevent our readers from falling into
the error of supposing that, when speaking of in-
dividual friendships as perpetuated in the heavenly
world, we are referring to any of those merely
earthly unions, or instinctive and animal affec-
tions, which must all terminate with this present
life, and which belong essentially to those rela-
tionships of "flesh and blood," which can have
no inheritance in the kingdom of God.

BASIS OF THE DOCTRINE. 25

In these pages we shall treat only of Christian
Friendship — of those attachments which have
been sanctified by grace — and of that fellow-
ship which exists amongst those who are vitally
united by God's Spirit to His Well-Beloved
Son.

Having made these remarks, in order to avoid
misapprehension on a topic which will be more
fully elucidated afterwards, we shall now —
before proceeding to examine in detail the
Scripture evidence in behalf of Recognition —
submit to our readers a few arguments of a pre-
sumptive and general character, illustrative of its
nature and corroborative of its truth.

26 A GENERALLY RECEIVED TRUTH.

in. — RECOGNITION, A TRUTH GENERALLY RE-
CEIVED, ESPECIALLY BY THE PIOUS — ITS CON-
SOLATORY TENDENCY — DISMAL CONSEQUENCES
OF , REPUDIATING IT.

The doctrine of mutual recognition in the world
to come has been the object of an almost universal
faith. " All kindreds of the earth " have held it.
It has been believed in both by the ancient and
the modern world* — Jew and Gentile, Christian
and Heathen, Greek and Eoman, philosopher and
poet — the most polished nations and the most
savage tribes have alike embraced it. But a
universally received tenet is generally acknow-
ledged to be an unquestionable truth; for the
utterances of our common nature are not wont
to deceive, and those feelings which are univer-
sally experienced are not false. Now, a belief in
this doctrine lies deeply imbedded in our moral

* See Appendix.

ITS CONSOLATORY POWER. 27

constitution; and humanity, from the deepest
caverns of her emotions, declares it to be true.

Nay, this doctrine is held most firmly by the
best of the children of men, and a conviction of
its truth is commensurate with the believer's
attainments in grace. It grows with his growth,
and strengthens with his spiritual strength. But
it is in the time of his sorest tribulation that it
is especially cherished by the child of God. It
is when his strongest earth-ties are broken, and
his very heart-strings are rent asunder, that it
proves unspeakably precious to his souL Then
is it found to be the most healing balm to his
wounded spirit, and then does it prove the richest
consolation to his crushed and broken heart; for
it tells him not to " sorrow as others which have
no hope." It assures him that the body's dis-
solution produces but a temporary separation,
and declares that his bereavement, so far from
being eternal, will continue only for the brief
interval of his present life.

But suppose we deny this doctrine — look, then,

28 CONSEQUENCES OF DENYING RECOGNITION.

at the result. The death of our Christian friends
is in that case — to us at least — their Destruction;
and when the grave closes on them, we have done
with them — for ever. If there is to be no future
recognition, Heaven — though we should enter
it — would be to us a land of strangers, in which
we could take but little interest, and towards
which we could cherish none of the attachments
or sympathies of Home. If this doctrine which
we advocate be untrue, the death of the Christian,
so far as we are concerned, is his annihilation;
for if he is to continue FOR ever unknown to us,
for us he might as well cease to be. But our
common humanity revolts at such a horrible idea,
and, rejecting it as an intolerable outrage upon
our tenderest aspirations, consigns it to the regions
of a cold and unfeeling scepticism, or buries it for
ever in the grave of atheism itself.

Oh, no ! we may rest assured that the Author
of our nature would not have implanted either the
belief or desire of this Saintly recognition so
deeply in our bosoms if utterly untrue, and the

A HOPE OF THE SPIRIT'S IMPLANTATION. 29

Holy Spirit would not allow such an idea — if a
delusion— to pervade and strengthen itself in the
hearts of His own children, in the hour of their
deepest woe. To permit us to lull our racked and
troubled spirits into quiet, by consolation drawn
from a falsehood, would be the cruellest mockery
of our sorrows ; for it would be to comfort us — not
with " the belief of the truth " — but with a lie.
Now the very circumstance — that it is just when
we require the aid of the Heavenly Comforter
most that this Heavenly hope consoles us most —
proves that, instead of being an unwarranted de-
ception, it is, in truth, a hope of the Spirit's own
implantation, which will eventually be fully, and
for ever, realised in Heaven.

IV. — CONTINUANCE OF MEMORY IN THE WORLD

TO COME.

It is quite evident that Memory will continue
to be exercised in a future state. Unless this
were so, we could not fully know either what we

30 NECESSITY OF MEMORY

once were, or what, through grace, we had become.
Its exercise throughout eternity will promote at
once our gratitude, humility, and joy ; and its con-
tinuance will be necessary, both that we may fully
feel our obligations to the Saviour, and adequately
praise Him. For we could not sing the new song*
of the redeemed, unless we remembered the sins
we had committed, and also the blood in which
they had been washed away. Redemption, then,
must be the object of our Reminiscence, in order
to be the theme of our praise.

Nay, the perpetuation of Memory is neces-
sary to the preservation of our very identity;
for Memory is an essential constituent of our
mental nature, and, deprived of it, we would be
essentially changed. We would, in fact, be no
longer ourselves, but a new order of creatures.
Now, Christ came not to destroy humanity, but
to redeem, and purify, and perfect it. His mission
was of a remedial and restorative character. There
will, therefore, be no essential change in any part

* See Rev. i. 5, 6.

IN THE WORLD TO COME. 31

of either our mental or moral constitution; and
the faculties and feelings of our immortal spirits,
so far from heing annihilated, will be more fully
developed in eternity than they ever were in
time.

Accordingly we find that, in the Scriptures, the
continuance of Memory throughout eternity is
uniformly assumed. Thus, (Luke xvi. 25,) "the
father of the faithful/' in reasoning with Dives,
says, " Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime
receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus
evil things; but now he is comforted, and thou
art tormented." Here we see that the now wretched
Dives is reminded of his former " lifetime, " and
its "good things," and of the former state of Lazarus,
and his "evil things;" and, from his request to
Abraham, it is also evident that Dives remem-
bered his "five brethren" and his "father's
house." Now, surely, if such an important faculty
as Memory be continued to, and exercised by, a
lost sinner, it will not be less so in the case of
a glorified believer.

32 CONTINUANCE OF MEMORY

The perpetuation of Memory is also implied in
Kev. vi 9, 10, where we read — " I saw under the
altar the souls of them that were slain for the
word of God, and for the testimony which they
held. And they cried with a loud voice, saying,
How long, Lord, holy and true, dost thou not
judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell
on the earth?" Now, these martyr-spirits must
have recollected the earth, and the shedding of
their blood thereon — also those by whom they
had been slain — else they could not have cried,
" How long, Lord, holy and true, dost thou
not avenge our blood on them that dwell on the
earth?"

The continued exercise of Memory is also im-
plied in all the descriptions of the Judgment,
and in all those passages which teach our future
accountability to God. Thus Paul says, (Eom.
xiv. 12,) " So then every one of us shall give
account of himself to God." Now, if Memory be
destroyed by death, we would, when placed before
" the great white throne," have forgotten all, and

IN THE WORLD TO COME. 33

could not, therefore, give account of any. And
so also, that each one may be convinced of the
righteousness of the award made for the " things
done in his body," he must remember the things
done by him when " in his body" — whether they
had been " good or bad."

Nay, we shall not only remember our own
actions, but those of others also. For the apostle,
exhorting the Hebrews, says, (Heb. xiii. 17,) "Obey
them that have the rule over you, and submit
yourselves : for they watch for your souls, as they
that must give account; that they may do it with
joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable
for you." Here it is unquestionably taken for
granted, that when the ministers of the Church
alluded to would give account of those over
whom they had ruled and watched, they would
both remember and recognise them: for, if all
remembrance were gone, no account could then
be given, and the feelings of joy and grief alluded
to could not possibly obtain.

"We might adduce many other passages of Scrip-

34 CONTINUANCE OF MEMORY

ture involving the same important fact; but we
think any further evidence on this point alto-
gether unnecessary. We shall therefore now pro-
ceed, in the following section, to make a few
observations on the continuance of individual
friendships and particular attachments in the
heavenly state.

V. — FRIENDSHIP PERPETUATED IN HEAVEN.

We are quite aware that some thoughtlessly
consider that individual preferences cannot pro-
perly harmonise with the claims of a universal
benevolence, and that strong and peculiar attach-
ments to particular individuals are entirely in-
consistent with the circumstances of a perfected
character and condition. Such, however, must
surely have forgotten the history of the man
Christ Jesus. He was perfect — perfect on earth
— and a perfect model of all His Saints, whether
on earth or in heaven; and yet, in the very perfec-
tions of His nature, we see the outpourings and

THE SAVIOUR'S FAVOURITES. 35

concentrating tendencies of individual love. The
Saviour has at once sanctioned and sanctified
individual friendships by His own example. The
specialties of His affections and sovereignty ot
His love are seen in the fact that — whilst He
loved all His people — for some He manifested a
peculiarly strong regard. He had His own par-
ticular friends. Even amongst the chosen twelve
there were some whom He liked better than the
rest ; for Peter, James, and John were His special
favourites. These alone beheld the brightness of
His glory on the Mount, (Matt. xvii. 1,) and the
depth of His agony in the Garden, (Matt. xxvi.
37,) and they alone were permitted to witness
the first manifestation of His resurrection power,
when He called the daughter of Jairus to life
again, (Mark v. 37.) Tea, of these three favour-
ites, to John the Saviour was most attached ; for
he was pre-eminently "the disciple whom Jesus
loved, " (John xx. 2.)

The Saviour's particular attachments, too, were

«

not confined to the members of the Apostolic

36 STRENGTH OF HIS AFFECTION.

College. The family at Bethany shared in His
peculiar regards; for it is said — "Now Jesus
loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus," (John
xi. 5.) When, therefore, the sisters sent to Him
tidings of their brother's illness, they did not
think it necessary to mention that brother's name.
They knew the depth of the affection Jesus
cherished towards him, and by the description,
"He whom Thou lovest is sick," they were not
only satisfied Messiah would recognise him, but
they knew also that, by this delicate allusion to
Christ's affection for their beloved brother, they
would touch a chord which would not fail to
awaken the tenderest sympathies of Messiah's
nature, and quicken the strongest pulsations of
His mighty heart.

Now these facts in the life of the Eedeemer
prove — that He came not to destroy friendship,
but to purify and perfect it; and that the cherish-
ing of a peculiarly strong love for certain indi-
viduals, in preference to others, is not the mark
of a fallen condition, but the characteristic of

SANCTIFIED ATTACHMENTS PERPETUATED. 37

perfected humanity itself. The history of our
Lord shows that the cultivation of specific attach-
ments does not at all interfere with the exercises
of a general benevolence. We have therefore
every reason to believe that friendship is not
confined to earth, but exists also in heaven; for,
even before Messiah's incarnation, Daniel was
a "man greatly beloved/' and, after His ascen-
sion, Paul was declared to be " a chosen vessel."
Now Jesus is still the same — " the same yester-
day, to-day, and for ever;" and the affections
of His humanity have not been absorbed, or
altered, or annihilated, by His exaltation to
glory. Accordingly we find that when, in media-
torial majesty, He made His last revelation to
His Church, it was to the beloved John He came.
He was the one, above all others, that was thus
peculiarly honoured ; and by His appearance, for
such a purpose, to His prisoner and confessor in
Patmos, Messiah not obscurely intimated that he
who had formerly leaned upon His bosom was
still dearest to His heart

38 LAZARUS, THOUGH DEAD, A FRIEND.

Surely, then, we may rejoicingly conclude that
the sanctified attachments of earth will be per-
petuated in heaven ; for if Jesus had His peculiar
friends here, He no doubt has them there. His
affections are as unchangeable as His nature from
which they spring; and if it was right for the
Elder Brother of the spiritual household to re-
spect and cultivate the ties of friendship, it can-
not be wrong for any of His younger brethren to
do so too. If, then, the friendships of the head
of the Divine family be perpetuated, we may rest
satisfied it will be so with those of its other
members. Let it be remembered, also, that
Death produces not a transformation of charac-
ter, but only a transference of person ; it changes
our place, but not our nature, and consequently
it destroys not friendship, though it may suspend
for a time its exercises.

Accordingly, we find Christ speaking cf friend-
ship as still existing in the case of one deceased;
for after the death of Lazarus, Jesus said, " Our
Friend Lazarus sleepeth," (John xi. 11.) Death

TIES OF GRACE STRONGER THAN NATURE. 39

had killed the body, but it had not destroyed the
friendship. Lazarus, though departed, was still
the " friend" of Christ and His apostles. The
one had gone to the world of spirits; the others
remained on earth, yet the friendship continued.
Death could not extinguish it; the grave could
not crush it; it survived the assaults of both;
and so is it stilL The ties of grace are far stronger
and more lasting than those of nature. All merely
corporeal and instinctive affections will cease with
time ; but Christian love is a Divine affection im-
planted in the soul by the Spirit of Jehovah, and
it must last for ever. Whether, therefore, we con-
sider the Divine origin and undying nature of
that love of which we have been speaking, or the
example and teachings of Christ himself, we are
shut up to the conclusion that those specific and
personal attachments which have been formed
betwixt God's children in a state of grace will
continue for ever, and be fully developed in a
state of gloiy.
We conclude, then, that those sinless pecu-

40 UNIFORMITY AND DIVERSITY IN HEAVEN.

liarities of mental and moral character which
distinguish the members of the Church on earth,
and give rise to Christian friendships, will not be
abolished by death; for as, in the kingdom of
nature, the individual specimens of even the same
genus and species have their own peculiar charms,
so also in the kingdom of grace and in the king-
dom of glory. Amid a general harmony and essen-
tial unity, there is the greatest individual diver-
sity; for God is not wont, either in nature or
providence, in grace or glory, to repeat Himself;
and, of all the objects which His wide universe
contains, not two, perhaps, are precisely alike.
Now, this wondrous diversity, so far from marring
the beauty, but increases the attractions of the
entire creation, and will add immensely to the
interest and admiration which the study of it
throughout eternity will excite. And therefore,
in the idiosyncrasies of spiritual character which
the Church in glory will exhibit, there will be
abundant room for the cultivation of individual
attachments, and for that mutual fellowship of

PARTICULAR FRIENDSHIPS IN HEAVEN. 41

individual hearts, which will be perfectly con-
sistent, both with a supreme love to Jehovah and
with the exercises of the most unlimited kindness
towards all His creatures.

The following judicious observations of Dr
Whately — the late distinguished Archbishop of
Dublin — on this subject are very interesting, and
worthy of our most serious consideration. This
eminent prelate thus writes : —

" It is supposed that particular friendships will
[in heaven] be swallowed up in universal charity,
and that any partial regard towards one good man
more than another is too narrow a feeling, and
unworthy of a ' saint made perfect' Do we, then,
find any approach towards this supposed perfec-
tion in the best Christians on earth ? Do we find
that, in proportion as they improve in charity
towards all mankind, they become less and less
capable of friendship — less affectionate to their
relations and connexions, and to the intimate com-
panions whom they have selected from among their
Christian brethren ? Far from it It is generally

42 ARCHBISHOP WHATELY ON

observed, on the contrary, that the best Christians,
and the fullest, both of brotherly love towards all
who are of the household of faith, and of univer-
sal tenderness and benevolence towards all their
fellow-creatures, are also the warmest and steadiest
in their friendships. Why, then, should it be
otherwise hereafter ?— why should private friend-
ship interfere with universal benevolence in
heaven, more than it does on earth ? But there
is a more decisive proof than this. No one can
suppose that a Christian in his glorified state will
be more exalted than his great Master here on
earth; from Him we must ever remain at an
immeasurable distance : we hope, indeed, to be
free from the sufferings of our blessed Lord in
His state of humiliation here below, but never
to equal His perfections. Yet He was not incap-
able of friendship. He certainly loved, indeed,
all mankind, more than other man ever did since ;
as Paul says, * While we were yet enemies, He
died for us/ He loved especially the disciples
who constantly followed Him; but, even among

PARTICULAR FRIENDSHIPS IN HEAVEN. 43

the apostles, He distinguished one as more pecu-
liarly and privately His friend. John was 'the
disciple whom Jesus loved.' Can we, then, be
ever too highly exalted to be incapable of friend-
ship?

" I am convinced, on the contrary, that the
extension and perfection of friendship will con-
stitute a great part of the future happiness of the
blest. Many have lived, in various and distant ages
and countries, who have been in their character —
(I mean not merely in their being generally es-
timable, but in the agreement of their tastes and
suitableness of dispositions) — perfectly adapted
for friendship with each other, but who, of course,
could never meet in this world. Many a one
selects, when he is reading history — a truly pious
Christian, more especially, in reading sacred
history — some one or two favourite characters
with whom he feels that a personal acquaintance
would have been peculiarly delightful to him.
Why should not such a desire be realised in
a future state? A wish to see, and personally

44 ARCHBISHOP WHATELY ON

know, for example, the apostle Paul, or John,
is the most likely to arise in the noblest and
purest mind. I should be very sorry to think
such a wish absurd and presumptuous, or unlikely
ever to be gratified. The highest enjoyment,
doubtless, to the blest, will be the personal
knowledge of their great and beloved Master;
yet I cannot but think that some part of their
happiness will consist in an intimate knowledge
of the greatest of His followers also, and of those
of them in particular whose peculiar qualities are
to each the ^aost attractive.

" In this world, again, our friendships are
limited, not only to those who live in the same
age and country, but to a small portion even of
them — to a small portion even of those who are
not unknown to us, and whom we know to be
estimable and amiable, and who, we feel, might
have been among our dearest friends. Our com-
mand of time and leisure to cultivate friendships*
imposes a limit to their extent — they are bounded,
rather by the occupation of our thoughts than of

PARTICULAE FRIENDSHIPS IN HEAVEN. 45

our affections — and the removal of such impedi-
ments in a better world seems to me a most
desirable and a most probable change.

"I see no reason, again, why those who have
been dearest friends on earth, should not, when
admitted to that happy state, continue to be so,
with full knowledge and recollection of their
former friendship/'*

* Whately's " View of the Scripture Revelations concerning
a Future State/' pp. 276-279. Sixth edition. London, 1847.

46 NATURE AND AMOUNT OF SCRIPTURAL

CHAPTEE II.

EVIDENCE FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT.

I. — NATURE OF THE SCRIPTURAL EVIDENCE TO
BE EXPECTED ON THIS SUBJECT.

In entering on a detailed examination of the
Scriptural testimony in support of mutual re-
cognition in a future state, it may be desirable
to direct the attention of the reader to the kind
of evidence which the Bible may naturally be
expected to furnish on such a topic.

The amount and character of the testimony
borne by the Scriptures to any particular truth
are regulated by the peculiar circumstances of
the case. If the truth to be established is one
perfectly new, and of which — prior to revela-
tion, and without it — we could have known

EVIDENCE ON VARIOUS SUBJECTS. 47

nothing — or if it be one exceedingly distasteful
to man's nature, and humiliating to his pride —
then, in such cases, we may expect the evidence
to be both copious and diversified. Accordingly,
we find that on such questions as the Deity of
Christ — the resurrection of the Body — the de-
pravity of man — the mode of the sinner's justi-
fication — and the necessity and effects of rege-
neration — the declarations of the Bible are
exceedingly numerous, and of the most direct
and positive character, whilst, on the other hand,
Scripture never sets about the demonstration of
generally admitted or agreeable propositions. It
may illustrate or enforce, but never proposes,
as its chief business, to prove them. Hence it
takes for granted such doctrines as the existence
of God, and the immortality of the soul. It
proceeds upon the principle that what we admit,
or like, requires little proof; and therefore it
furnishes but few direct testimonies on such
matters, though its indirect and incidental evi-
dence may be abundantly copious and perfectly

48 DOCTRINES OF NATURAL THEOLOGY

satisfactory. Nay, the indirect and incidental
testimony of a witness, as every one knows, is
often stronger and more convincing than direct
assertion.

Thus, when we read that Christ's disciples
plucked the ears of corn, as they passed through
the fields on the Sabbath-day, we have the strong-
est possible evidence, though of an indirect nature,
that it was neither in the winter, nor in the seed-
time, but towards the harvest season, that the
event narrated occurred. So, too, when, a few
years ago, it was announced that two gentlemen
had succeeded, without telescopic aid, and by
mere calculation, in determining the position and
character of a previously unknown planet, those
who understand anything of such investigations
had, in this simple fact, the most convincing testi-
mony — though altogether of an implied and in-
ferential character — that the distinguished savans
alluded to were acquainted not only with the
rudiments, but with the very highest branches ot
Mathematical and Astronomical science.

ARE DOCTRINES OF INFERENCE. 49

The doctrines of Natural Theology, as such 9 are
doctrines of inference, resting on the kind of
evidence we have mentioned; and Christ, by
using this sort of proof in His reasonings with
the Sadducees, regarding the resurrection, has
taught us, that we are bound to receive, not only
those truths which are "expressly set down in
Scripture, " but those also which, to use the lan-
guage of the Westminster Divines, "may by
necessary consequence be deduced therefrom."
In fact, incidental allusions often form the most
convincing species of evidence, for they imply
that the matter referred to was either too plain to
require demonstration, or too universally admitted
to call for formal proof.

Now, just so is it with the subject under con-
sideration. The evidence for the future recogni-
tion and perpetuated friendship of the redeemed
is far from being meagre ; on the contrary, as we
shall soon see, it is both varied and abundant ;
but like that for the being of a God, and other
doctrines of Natural Theism, it is for the most

50 INFERENTIAL EVIDENCE, ETC.

part of an indirect and inferential character, and
this, so far from weakening its force, should
rather strengthen it; for it shows that it is a
truth that was so generally received in the time
of Patriarchs and Prophets, and during the min-
istry of Christ and His apostles, that a formal
assertion and demonstration of it were considered
quite unnecessary. Accordingly, we shall see that
all these take it for granted, and reason upon it,
as a generally acknowledged fact, whilst they use
it for the practical purposes of comforting, warn-
ing, and edifying the Church of God.

That this may be evident to all our readers, we
shall now proceed to examine somewhat minutely
those declarations of the Bible which more espe-
cially refer to the mutual recognition of the
departed in the world to come ; and in doing so
we shall commence by considering in the following
section —

EVIDENCE FROM THE PENTATEUCH. 51

II — THE EVIDENCE FURNISHED BY THE PENTATEUCH.

The doctrines of mutual recognition and re-
newed companionship after death are taught in
those portions of the five books of Moses where
the Old Testament patriarchs are represented as
being " gathered unto their fathers/' or " gathered
unto their people."

Thus, in Genesis xxv. 8, it is said of Abraham
at his death, that he "was gathered to his
people/' Now, this language cannot possibly
have any reference to the burial of the patriarch ;
if so, it would not be true ; for Abraham was not
interred in any of the sepulchres of his people.
His ancestors lived and died at Ur of the Chaldees.
Terah, his father, died in Haran, and was buried
there; but Abraham was interred in a new bury-
ing- place — viz., "in the cave of the field of
Machpelah before Mamre," (see Gen. xxiii. 19,
and xxv. 9, 10,) which he had purchased of the
sons of Heth, and which was far removed from

52 ABRAHAM, ISAAC, AND JACOB,

the graves of his fathers. Whilst, however, he
was not buried with " his people," he was
"gathered to them;" that is, though his body did
not rest with theirs, yet that which formed pre-
eminently himself, even his immortal spirit, was
"gathered to them" — was ushered into their
society, and restored to their fellowship, in that
land of uprightness where the spirits of the holy
dwell

So also of Isaac we read, (Gen. xxxv. 29,j
" And Isaac gave up the ghost, and died, and

Was GATHERED UNTO HIS PEOPLE, and his SOUS

Esau and Jacob buried him." Here observe
Isaac's being " gathered to his people " is repre-
sented as taking place immediately after his
death, but before his burial; for the patriarch's
death is described as anterior to his being gathered
to his people, and his interment as taking place
subsequent to that event— evidently teaching that,
so soon as the spirit of the aged saint had quitted
the body, and before that body was committed
to the grave, the emancipated spirit was received

NOT " BURIED WITH THEIK PEOPLE." 53

to the communion of his pious ancestors who had
gone before him to the realms of bliss.

The same expression is used with regard to
Jacob, in Gen. xlix. 33, where it is said, "And
when Jacob had made an end of commanding his
sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and
yielded up the ghost, and was gathered unto
his people." Here we find his being gathered
to his people mentioned as immediately following
his yielding up the ghost! so that his being
gathered to his fathers cannot possibly mean his
being interred with them ; for Jacob's funeral did
not take place till forty days after he had
"yielded up the ghost, and was gathered fo his
peopla"

But that the meaning of this expression may
be established beyond all possible doubt, let us
refer to the cases of Moses and Aaron. In
Deuteronomy xxxii. 49, 50, God says to Moses,
" Get thee up and die in the mount whither thou
goest up, and be gathered unto thy people :
as Aaron thy brother died in Mount Hor, and

54 MOSES AND AARON " GATHERED " TO THEIR

was gathered unto his people." None of Aaron's
ancestors either died on Mount Hor, or were
buried there. "When, therefore, it is said of Israel's
first High Priest that, having died at Hor, he
"was gathered to his fathers" the meaning un-
questionably is, that, though his body occupied a
lonely spot on that mount of the wilderness, yet
that his better part— the undying spirit— was
doomed to no such solitude, but was immediately
"gathered" or admitted, to the fellowship of his
sainted progenitors.

And when God, in the passage quoted above,
says to Moses, "Get thee up and die in the
mount whither thou goest up, and be gathered to
thy people" He does not at all mean to tell His
servant that by being gathered to his people he
was not to be interred along with them. The
great Lawgiver, as well as the High Priest of
srael, was destined to occupy a solitary grave
fer away from the sepulchres of his fathers ; for
God, we are told, buried Moses "in a valley in
the land of Moab, over against Beth-peor, and no

PEOPLE, BUT NOT " BUEIED " WITH THEM. 55

man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day"
(Deut. xxxiv. 6.)

If any additional argument were required to
prove that the Scripture expression on which we
have been commenting is not at all synonymous
with burial, but is one which implies admission to
the fellowship of departed saints, we should find
it in the fact that being " gathered " to his people
is spoken of in the Bible as a privilege of the
believer which the rich worldling and other un-
converted characters will not enjoy. Thus, in
Job xxvii. 19, we read, " The rich man shall lie
down, but he shall not be gathered ; " that is, as
the judicious Scott, in his commentary on this
passage, speaking of such persons as those men-
tioned by Job, remarks — " They lay down in death,
nor were they gathered among the righteous,
but opened their eyes in Hell, far from all their
treasures and employments/'

Indeed, the most distinguished of modern He-
brew scholars — the celebrated Gesenius — after a
minute critical investigation of the original ex-

56. PROPER MEANING OF JACOB'S

pression, declares that " the phrase, ' being gathered
to one's people or fathers/ is expressly distin-
guished by the Hebrew writers both from death
and burial, and signifies the spirit's departing into
Sheol or Hades, where," says he, " the Hebrews
supposed all their ancestors to be congregated."

That the patriarch Jacob believed in recogni-
tion and restored companionship after death is
evident from the following passage, when rightly
understood. In Genesis xxxvii. 35, we read that
when Joseph's coat, dipped in blood, was brought
to his father, the old man supposed his favourite
son had been " rent in pieces" and refusing to be
comforted, said, " I will go down into the grave
unto my son mourning." The word here trans-
lated grave is not Keber, the proper Hebrew word
for grave or sepulchre, but the term in the original
is SheoI, which is used to express, not the grave,
but the place of the departed, or the habitation of
disembodied spirits* What Jacob says, then, is,

* As stated in the text, Sheol is the Hebrew term applied to
the place of disembodied spirits, and is, consequently, a word of

RESOLUTION EEGAEDING JOSEPH. 67

" I will go down to Sheol to my son mourning."
He here not only tells us that he would continue
to mourn till he went to Sheol — the territory of
the departed — but he also tells us that when he
entered Sheol he would be with his son. " I will
go," says he, "to Sheol unto my son." Now,
from this language, it is quite evident that the
patriarch was convinced that when he would
reach Sheol, he would recognise his son, and
enjoy his society again.

That he did not console himself with the idea
of lying in the same grave with his beloved
Joseph, is evident from the circumstance that he
thought his son had been "rent in pieces" and
eaten by some wild animal of the desert, for he
said, "An evil beast hath devoured him" Be-
very general import, comprehending both the realm* of the
blessed and also the regions of the lost. In the passage men-
tioned above, it evidently refers to the former, whereas, in the
passages subsequently quoted in this chapter — viz., Isaiah xiv.
9, 10; Ezekiel xxzii. 24, 27, and xxxi. 16, 17, it is as plainly
applied to the latter; and, therefore, in these last-mentioned
passages, it is very properly rendered Hell in our authorised
version.

58 TESTIMONY OF DAVID.

lieving this to have been the case, he knew that,
under such circumstances, it was impossible for
his favourite child to enjoy sepulchral rites, and,
therefore, could never for a moment have thought
of being united to him in a common grave. Oh,
no ! — the weeping patriarch betook himself to a
higher and holier source of consolation; and " the
comfort wherewith he comforted himself " was
that, when he would enter the abodes of the
departed, he would there find this son of his
tenderest affections mingling in the society of the
Blessed.

m. — TESTIMONY OF DAVID.

The conduct and language of David, upon the
death of the child that " Uriah's wife bare unto
him," show that the Eoyal Psalmist believed in
the doctrine of Eecognition in Heaven, and found
it to be a source of strongest consolation to his
overwhelmed and agonized souL

In 2 Samuel xii 19-23, we read — " David said

HIS DECLARATION REGARDING HIS CHILD. 59

unto his servants, Is the child dead ? And they
said, He is dead. Then David arose from the
earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and
changed his apparel, and came into the house of
the Lord, and worshipped : then he came unto his
own house, and when he required, they set bread
before him, and he did eat. Then said his ser-
vants unto him, What thing is this that thou hast
done? And he said, While the child was yet
alive, I fasted and wept : for I said, Who can tell
whether God will be gracious to me, that the child
may live ? but now he is dead, wherefore should
I fast ? can I bring him back again ? I shall go
TO him, but he shall not return to me."

From this passage we find that, when David
learned that his child was really gone, his whole
demeanour became changed. He no longer " vexed
himself/' or indulged in useless lamentation ; but
in the spirit of one who had received some won-
drous consolation, he arises and washes, and
anoints himself— goes into the house of the Lord,
and worships — returns to his own house, and eats

60 source of david's comfort.

bread — and manifests the attitude and tone of
one who had suddenly been delivered from some
" desperate sorrow."

And when interrogated by his astonished ser-
vants as to the cause of the extraordinary change,
he lets them into the secret of the whole by say-
ing, "I shall GO to HIM;" — thus telling them
that his child and he were not lost to each other
— they were but parted for a little — separated
only for the remainder of his own life — and that,
when it was terminated, they should be with each
other again.

That David, by the above language, did not
comfort himself with the hope of getting to the
body of his son by being eventually buried in the
same grave with him, is evident from the fact
that the child's body was still with him. He could
not possibly have been thinking of going to it, or
of its not returning to him : for, so far as he and
the body of his child were concerned, they were
still together ; but his language evidently refers to
the departed spirit of his little one, and viewing

HIS CONDUCT A LESSON TO THE SAINTS. 61

IT as what really constituted his child, he says,
" I shall go to him" His little son, he knew, had
but gone before him to that " house of the Lord "
in which he elsewhere (see Psalm xxiii. 6) de-
clares he himself will for ever dwell ; and he was
convinced that when he would enter there, he
would find his beloved boy amongst the children
of the Divine family, waiting to receive him and
ready to conduct or accompany him to some one
of the many mansions of that Heavenly Home.

The Psalmist, in another place, (2 Sam. xxiiL
2,) says, " The Spirit of the Lord spake by me,
and His word was in my tongue." May we not,
then, suppose that the extraordinary and un-
looked-for composure which David manifested,
on hearing of the decease of his child, may have
been owing to the Divine and special operation
of the Great Comforter on his soul ? When he
uttered the words, " I shall go to him" may he
not have done so under the promptings of the
Spirit of Inspiration, who, through him, would
thus convey such a lesson of instruction to all

62 EVIDENCE FROM THE PROPHETICAL BOOKS.

succeeding generations of the Church as would
prove particularly consolatory to the faithful when
suffering from the decease of Christian Mends,
and be more especially soothing to the troubled
hearts of pious parents when called on, like the
Psalmist, to transfer to the heavenly guardianship
of the Chief Shepherd one or more of the lambs
of His earthly flock ? Thus, through David, the
Spirit would be telling them that those friends
in Christ for whom they mourned — whether the
sheep of His pasture or the lambs of His fold —
were not destroyed, but merely removed to
another and better part of the Lord's possessions,
where, after "a little season," they themselves
would be permitted to rejoin them, and partake
with them, in a joy which will be without mix-
ture and without end.

IV. — EVIDENCE FROM THE PROPHETICAL BOOKS.

We shall now direct the attention of the reader
to some portions of the prophetical Scriptures,

THE KING OF BABYLON IN HELL. 63

and more particularly to those where Eecognitioii
is represented as taking place in the regions of

THE LOST.

And, first, let us notice the case of the King
of Babylon, as recorded in the 14th chapter of
Isaiah. At the 9th verse of this chapter, the
scene of the prophetic vision is suddenly changed
from earth to hell, and the Babylonish monarch,
as he quits the body, and descends to the regions
of the lost, is thus addressed : —

" Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet
thee at thy coming : it stirreth up the dead for
thee, even all the chief ones of the earth ; it hath
raised up from their thrones all the kings of the
nations. All they shall speak and say unto thee,
Art thou also become weak as we? art thou
become like unto us ? " (Isaiah xiv. 9, 10.)

In this awfully sublime passage, the once
mighty and haughty prince, who had " made the
earth to tremble, and did shake the nations, that
had made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed
the cities thereof/' is represented as going down

64 RECOGNITION AND COMPANIONSHIP IN HELL.

to Hell, and on his descent there, as being
recognised by those who had been the victims of
his former tyranny and ambition. His " coming "
is spoken of as causing quite a sensation in the
infernal regions. "Hell from beneath," it is
said, "is moved for thee at thy coming." "All
the chief ones of the earth" are described as
" stirred up," and " the kings of the nations " are
represented as rising "from their thrones," and,
in words of terrible recrimination and burning
sarcasm, as upbraiding and insulting the now
fallen potentate, whilst they contrast his former
pomp, and cruelty, and pride, with his present
helplessness and degradation.

In the 32d chapter of the prophecy of Ezekiel
we have the same dreadful fact of Recognition
amongst the lost portrayed in a scene of fearful
grandeur, where the King of Egypt is represented
as having gone down to hell a and as commingling
there with other princes and uncircumcised na-
tions; and, at the 21st verse of the chapter, we
have this declaration with regard to Pharaoh : —

CONVERSATION WITH PHARAOH IN HELL. 65

"The strong among the mighty shall speak

TO HIM OUT OF THE MIDST OF HELL with them that

help him: they are gone down, they lie uncir-
cumcised, slain by the sword."

In this passage the infernal habitations are dis-
closed to ns, and the spirits of departed tyrants,
their allies and their subjects, are represented
as congregated together, and as conversing with
Pharaoh in Hell, after he had joined them
there. And that the King of Egypt knew them
is evident . from what follows ; for, after an
enumeration of the princes and nations that are
said to have "gone down to hell/' and of whom
it is affirmed, (verse 27,) that " their iniquities
shall be upon their bones, though they were the
terror of the mighty in the land of the living,"
we read, (verse 31,) "Pharaoh shall see them,
and shall be comforted over all his multitude,
even Pharaoh and all his army slain by the
sword, saith the Lord God."

From this passage we learn not only that the
Egyptian monarch would see these kings and

66 KING OF ASSYRIA IN HELL.

nations whom he had known on earth, but also
that the sight of them would yield him a sort of
fiendish satisfaction, as thus he learned that those
who had been sharers in his crimes would be
partakers in his torments also.

We have the same terrible truth of recognition
and companionship in Hell taught in the 31st
chapter of Ezekiel, verses 16, 17, where God says
of the King of Assyria : —

" I made the nations to shake at the sound of
his fall, when I cast him down to hell with them
that descend into the pit: and all the trees of
Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon, all that
drink water, shall be comforted in the nether
parts of the earth. They also went down into hell
WITH HIM UNTO THEM that be slain with the sword;
and they that were his arm, that dwelt under his
shadow in the midst of the heathen."

The above verses inform us that the King of
Assyria w&s cast down to hell in company with
those who had been " his arm " — i.e., his support,
and also along with those who " dwelt under his

POETIC DESCRIPTIONS TRUE. 67

shadow " — i.e., his subjects and soldiers; and
they further teach us that he was cast down un-
to them that had been slain by him with the
sword, and that those miserable wretches who
had formerly suffered by his tyranny were now
" comforted " by seeing him reduced to the same
horrible condition with themselves.

Let no one try to get rid of the tremendous
facts brought out in the above scriptures, by
saying that they are merely poetical descriptions.
Can truth not be embodied in poetry ? — and does
the Spirit of God, even in what may be considered
His most highly-coloured and metaphorical de-
lineations, teach anything inconsistent with the
facts of the case? We readily admit that the
Holy Ghost has often employed the genius of the
poet, and the gorgeous drapery of metaphor and
symbol, in making known to the Church some of
the most important facts recorded in His Word.
Yet we maintain that the truths exhibited in
the prophetic extracts we have presented to our
readers are not the less true or important because

68 APOCALYPTIC PICTURES OP

of their being set forth with all the dramatic
power of oriental poetry. In them we have, as it
were, the curtain which conceals from us the
invisible world lifted for a moment, and the ter-
rible realities of an undone eternity revealed. Are
not such revelations worthy, not only of the most
graphic delineations of the greatest poet, but also
of the inspiration of the Spirit himself ? Should
we not be thankful that we have such vivid pic-
tures of a ruined futurity presented, that so we
may be taught at once the littleness and folly of
human greatness, and also be warned "to flee
from the wrath to come ? w God, in mercy, has
been pleased to give us those prophetic visions of
Pandemonium, that we may take heed lest we
too should be for ever associated in a fellowship
of undying wretchedness with those lost ones in
the regions of despair. And the Apocalyptic
pictures of heaven and hell presented in the
prophetic record will have failed to produce on us
their full and legitimate effect, if they do not
cause us to walk more humbly and closely with

HEAVEN AND HELL. 69

God, and to cultivate more assiduously "the
Communion of the Saints" on earth, as one of
the best preparatives for the more perfect fellow-
ship of the Church of the First-born above.

70 EVIDENCE FBOM THE GOSPELS.

CHAPTEE IIL

EVIDENCE FROM THE GOSPELS.

We have, in the preceding chapter, by an exa-
mination of "the Law and the Prophets," and
also from the testimony of the inspired Psalmist,
seen that mutual recognition after death was a
dearly-cherished truth, both under the Patriarchal
and Levitical economies. Having thus completed
our review of the evidence contained in the Old
Testament, we shall now proceed to consider that
furnished by the Gospel history of our Lord's
ministry, in doing which we shall find that recog-
nition in the world to come is taught— -first, in
the Discourses of the Saviour; second, in the
narrative of His Transfiguration; third, in His
Parables ; fourth, by His miracles ; fifth, in His

THE BIGHT USE OF MONET. 71

account of the last Judgment ; and, sixth, in His
descriptions of Heaven itself.

I. — EVIDENCE FROM THE DISCOURSES OF OUR LORD.

In the 16th chapter of Luke, at the 9th verse,
Jesus thus exhorts, " Make to yourselves friends of
the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye
fail, they may receive you into everlasting habi-
tations."

Christ, in this address, teaches His auditors the
right use of money. Instead of hoarding it or
squandering it, they were to " make friends " of
it; so that when, eventually, they themselves
should " fail " of life, or die, these friends — whom
they had acquired by the right and benevolent use
of their property, and who had gone before them
to the heavenly world— might receive them " into
everlasting habitations."

Jesus here represents those glorified spirits who
had, in the days of their flesh, been befriended or
benefited by their wealthy brethren still in the

72 INVESTING FOE ETERNITY.

body, as waiting on the borders of the eternal
world to receive into the heavenly temple their
former benefactors, so soon as these latter had
left their earthly tabernacles. The Saviour thus
teaches, not merely the doctrine of recognition and
restored companionship in heaven, but He also
conveys a very important practical lesson as to
the most advantageous employment and best in-
vestment of wealth. He here declares that this
" mammon of unrighteousness" — which is so gene-
rally a snare to the believer and a fearful hin-
drance to his growth in grace — may be so used that,
instead of being a temptation and a stumbling-
block, it may become the positive instrument of
increased enjoyment and reward in the world to
come.

Christ, on another occasion, declared, "Whoso-
ever shall give to drink unto one of these little
ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a
disciple, verily I say unto you, He shall in no
wise lose his reward," (Matt. x. 42.) Now this
language evidently implies that when such a com*

THE MEN OF NINEVEH. 73

paxatively trivial act of kindness as that mentioned
above shall be remembered and rewarded at the
final reckoning, those " little ones " to whom such
acts have been performed will themselves be
neither unknown nor unnoticed at that great
assize.

The same doctrine is also taught by the Saviour,
when He says, " The men of Nineveh shall rise in
judgment with this generation, and shall condemn
it; because they repented at the preaching of
Jonas ; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here*
The queen of the south shall rise up in the judg-
ment with this generation, and shall condemn it :
for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth
to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a
greater than Solomon is here," (Matt. xii. 41, 42.)
These verses clearly teach that, in the Judgment,
"the men of Nineveh" will be distinguished from
all others, and be then recognised as the former
auditors of the Prophet Jonas. Unless they were
then known as the previous inhabitants of that
penitent city which had hearkened to the pro-

74 THE TRA55FIGCSAXI0N SCENE.

phefs w arnin g and repented at his caD, they could
not possibly ad as "swift witnesses 9 against a
generation that had rejected one greater than this
prophet, who tried to "flee nnto Tarshish from
the presence of the Lord."

Similar remarks are applicable to " the queen of
the south," who, it is evident, will be recognised
as the former visitant and guest of the then wisest
of men, when she rises at the Judgment to testify
against those who had refused to hearken to the
wisdom of a far mightier than Solomon himself .

H. — EVIDENCE FROM THE TRANSFIGURATION SCENE.

In the Gospel by Luke, chapter ix., 28th to
35th verse, we thus read — " And it came to pass,
about an eight days after these sayings, He took
Peter, and John, and James, and went up into
a mountain to pray. And as He prayed, the
fashion of His countenance was altered, and His
raiment was white and glistering. And, behold,
there talked with him two men, which were

AN EPITOME OF THE CHURCH IN GLORY. 75

Moses and Elias : who appeared in glory, and
spake of His decease which He should accomplish
at Jerusalem. But Peter and they that were with
Him were heavy with sleep : and when they were
awake, they saw His glory, and the two men that
stood with Him. And it came to pass, as they
departed from Him, Peter said unto Jesus, Mas-
ter, it is good for us to be here : and let us make
three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for
Moses, and one for Elias : not knowing what He
said. "While He thus spake, there came a cloud
and overshadowed them : and they feared as they
entered into the cloud. "

In the above narrative, there is presented to us
a glimpse of the condition of saints in glory. We
are told of Moses and Elias that they " appeared
in glory ; " and of Jesus it is here said, the three
disciples "saw His glory/' The whole scene,
then, may be considered as presenting to us, in
epitome, the Church glorified ; for the head and
members are both represented. We have Elias
representing the condition of a believer glorified in

76 MOSES* BODY NOT AT THE SEPULCHRE.

both soul and body — for Elias, like Enoch, " was
translated, that he should not see death n — and
we have, in Moses, represented the condition of a
glorified spirit whose body was still lying in the
grave.* In the view of heavenly things here
disclosed, we have these two inhabitants of the
celestial world introduced to us as knowing each
other, and conversing with one another, though
they had not lived on earth at the same time.
For Moses, the giver of the law, had been
"gathered to his fathers" hundreds of years
before Elijah — the great reformer of the law —

* Some writers have most unwarrantably assumed that the
resurrection of Moses had taken place previously to Christ's
Transfiguration, and that, on this occasion, he appeared, like
Elias, in his glorified body. Such a supposition, however, is
not only unwarranted by Scripture, but is expressly contra-
dicted by it ; for the Bible uniformly teaches that Christ was
" the first fruits of them that slept/' (see 1 Cor. xv. 20-23 ;)
that is, that He was the first of all in His Church — the first, in
fact, of the human family — that triumphed over the grave by
rising from it in an immortal body. The cases of Enoch and
Elijah cannot be adduced as opposing this statement, for these
prophets never " slept; " they were both " translated, that they
should not see death." The " many bodies of the saints " which
are said (Matt, xxvii. 52, 53) to have arisen, we are told, " arose,

RECOGNITION BETWEEN MOSES AND ELIAS. 77

was born ; yet, when they meet in glory, they are
at once enabled to recognise each other, and hold
fellowship together.

Nay, more, we leanr from these verses that
the three apostles were also able to recognise their
illustrious visitors. We may therefore rest assured,
that if these disciples were permitted to become
acquainted with Moses and Elias even in this life,
their knowledge of them has not diminished,
though it may have vastly increased, since they
joined them in the heavenly world.

This transfiguration scene also informs us that

and came out of the graves after His resurrection." And the
cases of resurrection — such as those of Jairus' daughter, of
Lazarus, and of the widow's son at Nain — which Christ effected
during His earthly life, are not at all parallel to His own. For
those thus raised were raised in mortal bodies, which were
again doomed to " see corruption," but the resurrection-body of
the Saviour was an immortal body, which " could see no corrup-
tion." Messiah himself, then, wore the first immortal and
glorified body that was ever possessed by any who had ever
"fallen asleep." And as Moses had died and was buried by
God himself, (Deut. zxziv. 6,) his body was still in its original
resting-place, though his glorified spirit appeared, and, at
the time above-mentioned, " talked " with Jesus " on the holy
mount."

78 A DISEMBODIED SAINT CONVEBSING.

the spirits of the ju3t made perfect, so far from
remaining in an unconscious condition till the

*

Resurrection, are even now, in their disembodied
state, perfectly active, and capable, not only of
conversing, but also of appearing in a visible form.
For Moses, whose body was still sleeping " in a
valley in the land of Moab, over against Beth-
peor," (Deut. xxxiv. 6,) not only "talked" with'
Jesus and Elias, but also " stood," and appeared
as one of "two men" to the disciples. (See
verses 30-32.)

These verses likewise imply that the Saints in
glory are acquainted with the circumstances of the
Church on earth, and take a particular interest in
its affairs. For when the respective representatives
of " the law and the prophets" above referred to
appeared " in glory" and " talked with" Christ, we
are told it was of " the decease which He should
accomplish at Jerusalem" that they spake —
evidently showing that the awful tragedy about
to be perpetrated at Calvary was not unknown to
the inhabitants of the Upper Sanctuary, but was

THE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS. 79

an approaching event which proved a topic of
absorbing interest to the denizens of the skies.

in. — EVIDENCE FROM THE PARABLES.

In Luke xvi. 19-26, concerning Dives aud
Lazarus, we thus read — " There was a certain
rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine
linen, and fared sumptuously every day : and
there was a certain beggar named. Lazarus, which
was laid at his gate, full of sores, and desiring to
be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich
man's table : moreover, the dogs came and licked
his sores. And it came to pass, that the beggar
died, and was carried by the angels into Abra-
ham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was
buried : and in hell he lifted up his eyes, being
in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and
Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried, and said,
Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send
Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in
water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented

80 JRVTE. IN PARABLES.

in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remembei
that thou in thy life-time receivedst thy good
things, and likewise Lazarus evil things : but now
he is comforted and thou art tormented. And
besides all this, between us and you there is a
great gulf fixed : so that they which would pass
from hence to you cannot : neither can they pass
to us that would come from thence."

Before proceeding to consider the bearing of
this passage on the topic under discussion, we
cannot but express our astonishment at the slow-
ness — yea, positive unwillingness — manifested by
many writers to receive the facts which it unfolds.
Whenever its revelations are adduced in support
of important tenets, the cry is immediately raised,
" Oh, that is a parable !" and it is at once assumed
that we are not to infer anything as certain from
such a composition. Let us, however, remind our
readers that the parables are as really " profitable
for doctrine and instruction in righteousness ,, as
any other portions of the inspired Word, and that
even those parts of them, which are often erro-

HOW CHRIST BEGAN A PARABLE. 81

neously considered mere drapery, never teach
anything inconsistent with the circumstances of
the case or condition they describe. The para-
bolic disclosures are all realities, and their lessons
solemn verities, by which we are to be instructed,
warned, or comforted, as really as by those of any
other parts of Scripture.

But though, in accordance with the usual
custom, we have submitted to rank this passage
amongst the parables of Christ, we are by no
means convinced of the propriety of such a classi-
fication. Why, we ask, should this narrative be
called or considered a parable ? It is not styled
so in the New Testament. Christ did not so in-
troduce it when He first narrated it. When. He
delivered a parable, He generally announced it to
His auditors as such. His language on such
occasions was — "Hear ye the parable of the
sower," or, " Now learn a parable of the fig-tree ;"
and the peculiar nature of His instructions was
previously intimated by its being said at the com-
mencement — " He spake a parable unto them,"

82 HISTORY OF DIVES AND LAZARUS.

or, " Another parable put He forth ;" but with the
passage we are now considering it is far otherwise,
for Jesus presents it to His hearers as a piece of
history — as a narrative of actual occurrences — for
He begins by telling us, " There was a certain
rich man," and He assures us, " There was a
certain beggar, named Lazarus." If the reader
will minutely examine the language and style of
this passage, he will at once perceive that they
are of the most historic description, and quite
destitute of those metaphorical or allegorical
expressions by which the real parables of the
Saviour are so markedly distinguished *

* The following passage from Calvin's "Psychopannychia" wfll
show the reader that this great divine considered the account
of Dives and Lazarus a real history, and not a parable. Calvin
says — " Let us come now to the history of the rich man and
Lazarus, the latter of whom, after all the labours and toils of
his mortal life are past, is at length carried into Abraham's
bosom, while the former, having had his comforts here, now
suffers torments. A great gulf is interposed betwixt the joys
of the one and the sufferings of the other. Are these mere
(breams t — the gates of ivory which the poets fable ? To secure
the means of escape, they [that is, Calvin's opponents, who
maintained the sleep or death of the soul, and of course looked
upon the account of Dives and Lazarus as sparable or fable]

A VIEW OF SPIEIT-LAND. 83

Whether, however, considered a parable or a
history, its lessons are substantially the same ;
and to these, so far as they bear upon the subject
under consideration, let us now direct the reader's
attention.

In this record, then, Christ brings much of
Immortality to view. He lifts, as it were, the
curtain which conceals from us the world of
Spirits, and permits us to glance for a moment at

make the history a parable, and say that all which truth speaks
concerning Abraham, the rich man, and the poor man, is a
fiction. Such reverence do they pay to God and His Word #
Let them produce even one passage from Scripture where any
one is called by name in a parable. What is meant by the
words, ' There was a poor man, named Lazarus ?' Either the
Word op God must lib, or it is a true narrative.

"This is observed by the ancient expounders of Scripture.
Ambrose says it is a narrative rather than a parable, inasmuch
as the name is added. Gregory takes the same view. Certainly
Tertullian, Irenjsus, Origen, Cyprian, and Jerome, speak
of it as a history. They are more absurd when they bring
forward the name of Augustine, pretending that he held their
view." — Calvin's Tracts, vol. iii. pp. 430, 431, translated by
Henry Beveridge. Edinburgh, 1851.

Those who wish to have a fuller view of the opinions of the
different Fathers on this subject may consult Suicer's " The*
saurus," sub voce Actfapos.

84 RECOGNITION BETWEEN SAVED AND LOST.

their present condition. In no other portion of
Scripture, perhaps, are the different and relative
positions of the departed so vividly portrayed.
We get a view at once of Heaven and Hell, and
are shown what is going on there by Him who is
not only the Prince of Life, but who has also " the
keys of hell and death."

Let us, then, see what Christ discloses concern-
ing recognition and fellowship in this spirit-land
which He here presents to us. We have already
learned from it (pp. 31, 32) that Memory con-
tinues in full exercise after death, and that the
incidents of this present life pass in review before
the minds of those who have entered upon their
eternal state. It also shows us that there is not
only recognition, but the most intimate fellowship,
prevailing betwixt the saints in glory; for. Laza-
rus not only knew Abraham — he was permitted
to recline upon his bosom ; that is, to enjoy the
closest communion with " the father of the faith-
ful and the friend of God/'

Still further, from the scene now before us, we

CONTINUANCE OF MEMORY AFTER DEATH. 85

learn that there may be Eecognition betwixt
the saved and lost, though there can be no
fellowship between them; for the rich man in hell
was able to recognise both Abraham and Lazarus
in heaven, and they also saw him. But though
they thus could "see" each other "afar off," there
was no possibility of communion, for there was "a
great gulf fixed " between them, which was des-
tined to prevent for ever all intercourse. And so
the sight of the saints by the victims of transgres-
sion will serve throughout eternity to increase the
wretchedness of these spirits in ruin, and will cast
a horror of thicker darkness over their regions of
condemnation.

The continuance of Memory and mutual recog-
nition after death are also taught both in the
parables of the Talents and of the Pounds. For,
unless the several parties therein mentioned
remembered the various transactions in which
they had been engaged during life, ttiey could not
possibly give an account of their stewardship after
death ; and if they were not personally known and

86 EVTDBNCE FROM THE MIRACLES.

recognised, they could not "be reckoned with"
according to the principles of individual responsi-
bility which the parables referred to inculcate and
assume.

IV. — EVIDENCE FROM THE MIRACLES OF CHRIST.

We shall now proceed to consider the light
thrown upon the subject of future recognition by
the Miracles of Christ; and that we may be
properly prepared for appreciating aright the evi-
dence to be adduced from this quarter, we shall
first make a few remarks on the nature of our
Lord's miracles in general.

We observe, then, that the miracles of Christ
are styled in Scripture, not merely miracles, but
signs. Each was a sign and seal of His Divine
mission. But it was more : — it was not merely a
sign of His mission, but also of the object of that
mission. Each was a token, not only of the pre*
sence of a Divine Messenger, but also of the
purpose for which He cama In fact, the miracles

.OHRIBStfS MIRACLES TYPES. 87

of Jesus are T*pes — types of the nature of His
salvation — symbols of His redemption — fore-
shadows of that world-wide restoration He would
eventually effect. Christ's miracles,: then, are
not like other pretended miracles— mere wonders,
mere feats of power, which cause people to mar-
vel, or stare — which astonish or confound them.
They are; indeed* wonders, but they are more
than wonders — they are signs, and symbols, and
specimens of His great salvation They possess
this one grand and distinguishing characteristic
of being, with scarcely an exception, curative and
restorative in their character. Their great ten-
dency is to reverse, and do away with, the con-
sequences of transgression.

Thus, when Christ cured the diseases of the
body,. He taught that the design of His coming
was to remove also the maladies of the soul. He
opened blind eyes, and unstopped deaf ears, and
thus declared that the object of His mission was
to shtighte?. darkened understandings, and cause
those who had hitherto been deaf to the calls of

.4 *

88 A MIEACLE NOT UNNATUBAL. * *

duty to hear and live. When He healed the
leper's body, it was a declaration that He could
also cleanse the leper's heart When He cured
the palsy, or rebuked the fever, or expelled the
demons, or raised the dead, He was just by each
and in all of these ways declaring that He was the
great Deliverer — come to rescue men from the
sufferings and sorrows of the Fall, and to restore
them to more than the health and happiness of
their primeval condition. A miracle, then, is not,
as certain infidels maintain, a violation of nature.
A miracle is something beside, and above, and
beyond nature, but it is not opposed to it. A
miracle is not unnatural It is sin that is really
unnatural. Sickness is unnatural— sorrow is
unnatural — death is unnatural Infidels speak of
death as " the debt of nature ; " but it is no such
thing. Death is an outrage upon nature— it is
an awful shock to nature — it is a terrible assault
upon nature. We are told, (Kom. vi 23,) that the
wages of sin is Death. Death, then, may be a

4.
e

design of Christ's miracles. 89

debt to sin, but it is not the debt, but the de-
stroyer, of nature.

Now Christ, by His miracles, declared that He
wa3 the great Deliverer of nature — the beneficent
Restorer of creation to its pristine blessedness
and beauty ; for when — to take a specimen or two
— He fed five thousand people with five loaves
and twa small fishes, He thus symbolically, though
miracidlnsly, declared that He would yet reverse
the curse of barrenness with which sin had
blighted the earth; and when he rebuked the
roaring tempest, and stilled the raging waves, He
showed that He was indeed Creation's Sovereign,
who, as " the Prince of Peace, would yet subdue
the jarring elements," remove all disturbing forces,
and bring all the powers of earth and heaven into
a state of more than Paradisiacal order, and ex-
cellence, and love.

Christ's miracles, then, prove Him to be the
world's great Eedeemer, and they form the earnests
and auguries of that universal restoration which

90 / THE WIDOW OF NAIN'S SON.

Messiah will yet effect, when, at His second
advent, He will not only banish Satan, abolish
sin, "and swallow up death in victory," but
" when He will also destroy all the works of the
devil," by bringing forth from the ashes of the
present mundane system those " new heavens and
new earth," wherein we are assured, (Re^k xxi. 4,)
" There shall be no more death, neither sorrow,
nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain : "
for " the formes thijigs " shall then have passed
away for ever, and Jesus," as the world!s complete
Deliverer, shall have made " all things new."

Keeping these remarks on the nature of our
Saviour's miracles in remembrance, we proceed to
examine how they bear upon the subject before us.

We have the following account of the raising of
the widow of Nain's son in Luke vii. 11-16 : —
" And it came to pass the day after, that lie went
into a city called Nain; and many of His disciples
went with Him, and much people. ISffW, vrfaesk
He came nigh to the gate of the <a]fa behold*-
there was a dead man earned out, the only son

A PICTUEE DESCRIBED. 91

of his mother, and she was a widow : and much
people of the city was with her. And when the
Lord saw her, He had compassion on her, and
said unto her, Weep not. And He came and
touched the bier : and they that bare him stood
still And He said, Young man, I say unto thee.
Arise. And he that was dead sat up, and began
to speak. And He delivered him to his mother.
And there came a fear on all : and they glorified
God, saying, That a great prophet is risen up
among us; and, That God hath visited His people."
The scene here brought before us is indescrib-
ably touching. Let the reader just gaze for a
moment on the wondrous picture of commingled
wretchedness and pity presented in the twelfth
verse — "Behold, there was a dead man carried
out, the only son of his mother, and she was a
widow/' We have here portrayed, by no ordinary
pencil — Death, in its most merciless manifesta-
tion, cutting down youth in its strength and
beauty — Bereavement, in its most cruel and heart-
emshing exercise, robbing the parent of an only

92 THE BESTOKATION.

son — and Widotuhood, in all its desperate and
sickening desolation, exhibiting the lonely mother
deprived of her sole surviving source of comfort
and support.

Surely such a scene was well calculated to
excite the Saviour's compassion — and so it did.
Jesus, whose office was " to bind up the broken-
hearted," lays an arrest on Death as he is hurry-
ing his victim to the tomb — stays the power of
corruption, and deprives it of its prey — recalls the
departed spirit to its former habitation; and thus,
by an act of marvellous beneficence — betokening
at once His Godhead power and human sympathy
— He brought the dead to life again, and so caused
both " the widow's heart to sing for joy," and all
who saw it to " glorify God." But was this all ?
No, it was not all. Jesus did not stop with
manifesting His resurrection power. He showed
that He possessed a feeling heart; and, therefore,
we are told that He not only turned the dead
corpse into a living man, but it is also added thai*
when He had raised this widow's son, " He dk-

WHEN AND WHEN NOT, " FOLLOW ME." 93

livered him TO his mother." Oh, what large-
heartedness — what deep feeling — what human
sympathy were here! Jesus might well have
said to the young man when raised, " Come, and
follow me; to me you owe your life; to me,
therefore, henceforth belong your services, your
time, your influence, your strength. Come, then,
be my disciple; for he that loveth father or
mother more than me, is not worthy of me."

But ah, no ! The tender-hearted Eedeemer said
no such thing. On another occasion, when He
saw the worldling, the avaricious, and the volup-
tuary, wishing to make a compromise, and trying
to serve both " God and Mammon " — to save the
spirit and yet gratify the flesh — He in the most
explicit manner, laid down the terms of disciple-
ship, and demanded an instantaneous, undivided,
and untiring allegiance, saying, " If any man will
be my disciple, let him deny himself, and take up
his cross, and follow me." "He that forsaketh
not father and mother, sister and brother, for my
sake and the gospel's, cannot be my disciple."

94 A mother's love.

But now, when the circumstances axe altogether
different — when piety can be best displayed at
home, and filial duty ja most required in the
domestic circle — He who knew no selfishness, and
whose highest joy was to make others happy,
delivers the newly-raised son to his mother —
restores them at once to the embraces of each
other — that again they might rejoice and commune
together. And those only who know a mother's
joy — a mother's love —

" A mother's love ! — how sweet the name !
The holiest, purest, tenderest flame

That kindles from above :
Within a heart of earthly mould,
As much of heaven as heart can hold,
Nor through eternity grows cold —

That is a mother's love."

Such only, we say, can have any idea how this
mother of Nain felt, and how her heart not only
glowed, as it never glowed before, with affection
for her son, but how also it swelled with gratitude
to her Saviour, as she received from Him, her
beloved boy back again into her warm embrace,

JESUS WILL YET RESTORE. 95

and again took him to her home, a living monument
of Messiah's omnipotence, sympathy, and love.

But, reader, this miracle at the gate of Nain
was intended to be a symbol and sample of what
Jesus will yet perform. It foreshadows not only
a coming resurrection, but also an approaching re-
storation. It intimates that when Jesus will finally
"swallow up death in victory," He will not merely
raise His people from the grave, but also restore
them to each other. It declares that He who
delivered this " only son of his mother " to the
weeping widow in the days of his earthly minis-
try, will yet inaugurate His final triumph, and
"wipe away tears from off all faces," by restoring
His risen Saints to the fellowship of one another ;
so that, in the reciprocal joys of a restored friend-
ship and everlasting communion, they may have
fresh cause of thankfulness to their Divine and
kinsman Eedeemer, who, in permitting them to
renew their companionships with their old as-
sociates in grace, will give them the sweetest
token of the exceeding "kindness of His love,"

• • »

96 THE LUNATIC BOY.

and consummate their heavenly bliss by allowing
them at once to experience the full fruition of
Himself, and participate in unending fellowship
with His saints in light.

And how, we ask, did Jesus act when He cured
the lunatic boy, who was both the only son and
only child of his parent ? (see Matthew xvii. 14-
21; Mark ix. 14-29; and Luke ix. 37-42.) What
did He do when He rescued him from the power
of that Demon that had often "rent him sore/' and
cast him into the fire and into the water to destroy
him, and under whose fiendish influence the lad
was wont to wallow, and foam, and gnash his
teeth, and pine away ? Did Christ at once com-
mand his services, and say unto him, "Follow
me ? " Ah, no ! The same great heart that, at
Nain, felt for the widowed mother, now feels no
less acutely for the afflicted father. Jesus did,
indeed, "look upon his son," for he was his "only
child ; " and, having expelled the Demon from his
usurped dominion, He removed the lunacy, and
restored Eeason to her throne. But this was not

THE " ONLY CHILD " RESTORED. 97

all; for, having brought back the child from a
condition more dreadful than death, and rescued
him from worse than the corruption of the grave,
He gladdened the heart of the one parent as He
had done that of the other. The restoration of
Nain is repeated ; for we are told, (Luke ix. 42,)
that when Jesus had "healed the child He de-
livered HIM TO HIS FATHER."

Here, again, the Saviour gives us a specimen
and illustration of what He will yet perform. He
thus, by the symbol of His own miracle, declares
that He yet intends to bestow upon His people all
the blessings of renewed companionship, and that
one element of His joy in His redeemed will arise,
not merely from the direct fellowship He himself
will hold with them, but also from beholding
" their fellowship one with another." And so,
when His intercessory prayer will be finally and.
fully answered, and all His people will be with
TTitti and be ONE, it will then be seen, as it was
never seen before, " how good and how pleasant
it is for brethren to dwell together in unity,"

G

98 RESTORATION WITH EVERY RESURRECTION.

for there and then will the Lord command the
blessing, " even life for evermore."

And so, too, we find that every resurrection of
Jesus was accompanied with a restoration. The
daughter of Jairus was left with her parents, and
Lazarus with his sisters, after being recalled from
the dead. Messiah never violated the social com-
pact, or outraged the domestic feelings when He
released the prisoners of the tomb, for He came
not to destroy, but to restore. His entire ministry
on earth was a living illustration of the mighty
truth, that the design of His mission was not to
dissolve, or separate, or disunite, but to gather
together into one all the Elect of God, whom
sin would otherwise have for ever dissevered and
destroyed.

Thus we see that these miracles of resurrection
power which Jesus performed on earth, all betoken
and proclaim restoration and reunion amongst
His people in heaven. He who, during His life
below, delivered her "only son" to the mother,
and his " only child " to the father, by these acts

INDIVIDUALIZATION IN JUDGMENT. 99

of surpassing tenderness, declared that He, as
" the Kesurrection and the life," will eventually,
not only rescue His people from the power of the
grave, and reanimate them with all the freshness
of an immortal being, but that He will yet also

m

restore them to one another. And so, amid the
acclamations of surrounding hosts, it will at last
be seen that the Christian companionships of
time were intended to be but the prelude and the
preparation for that renewed and undying friend-
ship which His people are destined throughout
eternity to enjoy.

V. — EVIDENCE FROM CHRIST'S DESCRIPTIONS OF THE

GENERAL JUDGMENT.

There is nothing more striking in the Scripture
accounts of the day of Judgment than their
Individuality. The Bible is continually remind-
ing us that " every one of us shall give account
of himself to God," (Eom. xiv. 12,) and that " God
shall bring every work into judgment : " yea,

100 JUDGMENT REQUIRES RECOGNITION.

that " every idle word that men shall speak they
shall give account thereof in the day of Judg-
ment." Now, in order that such a personal and
searching examination of each individual case
may take place, it will be absolutely necessary
that all the circumstances connected with each
man's personal history be investigated. A man's
acts are not for the most part performed in
solitude; his words are not generally spoken
alone. In both his deeds and declarations he
stands related to others. In order, then, that each
case may be fully gone into, the parties concerned
must be brought forward. They will all be there,
and can, consequently, be easily produced. Now,
is any one so insane as to suppose that, under
such circumstances, they cannot, or will not, be
identified and recognised? The conditions in-
volved in the very nature of a judgment, as well
as the moral requirements of the great assize,
imperatively demand recognition. We cannot
conceive of such judicial investigations as it
implies, without the exercise of memory, and

CHKIST POINTING OUT AT JUDGMENT. 101

without the various parties being confronted with
each other. The language of Christ upon the
subject abundantly corroborates this view of the
matter. He speaks of the assembled multitudes
as retaining a perfect knowledge of their former
conditions and proceedings, and to these the Lord
himself appeals. Every work, word, and pur-
pose, are represented as viewed by Him in their
varied connexions, and as receiving their allotted
measure of punishment or reward, partly at least,
in consequence of the circumstances in which they
were performed, spoken, or conceived; for these
are described as affecting the responsibility and
moral position of the various parties tried.

Such, then, being the case, can it for a moment
be supposed that the parties themselves, so deeply
interested in the issue, and who were formerly so
intimately associated in the proceedings under
review, will then be unknown to each other?
The Judge Himself teaches a very different lesson
for, in the account which He gives of how He will
act when on "the great white throne/' He de-

102 THE SAINTS WILL TAKE PAET

scribes Himself as pointing out to the lost His
brethren whom they had neglected, saying, " Inas-
much as ye did it not to one of the least of these,
ye did it not to me/' (Matt. xxv. 45.) On the
other hand, He speaks of Himself as then exhibit-
ing to the benefactors of His saints His formerly
necessitous brethren, whom, in the days of their
flesh, they had visited, succoured, and comforted ;
for He declares He will then say, " Inasmuch as
ye have done it unto one of the least of these my
brethren, ye have done it unto me."

The above views are still further corroborated
by the averments of Scripture regarding the part
which the Saints themselves will bear in the pro-
ceedings of the final Judgment. "Do ye not
know," says Paul, " that the Saints shall judge
the world t " (1 Cor. vi. 2.) And so also Christ,
addressing His disciples, says, (Matthew xix. 28,)
" Verily I say unto you, That ye which have fol-
lowed me, in the regeneration, when the Son of
Man shall sit on the throne of His gloiy, ye also

WITH CHBIST IN JUDGMENT. 103

shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve

tribes of Israel/*

«

Prom the above passages we find that the
Saints are to take part with Christ in judgment
There must certainly, then, be mutual recognition
amongst these Saints ; for an assembly of judges
unacquainted with each other would certainly be
rather a curious phenomenon — a most absurd and
unheard-of tribunal — and one which we cannot
conceive of as competent to discharge the awful
functions committed to it. The Saints, too, we
may remark, in conclusion, must certainly be able
to distinguish "the twelve tribes of Israel," and
to individualize the various parties and persons
brought under their judicial cognizance, else they
would be utterly unfit to discharge the duties
assigned them.

104 CHRIST'S DESCRIPTION OF HEAVEN.

VI. — EVIDENCE TROM THE SAVIOURS DELINEATIONS

OF HEAVEN.

Man, constitutionally, is a social being. He
was formed for intercourse with others, and was
never intended to be a solitary or recluse. Accord-
ingly, in none of the states through which he has
hitherto passed has it been found " good for man
to be alone." Whether, when living in original in-
nocence in his primeval Eden, or afterwards when
roaming as a fallen and weeping wanderer on the
earth — whether in a state of nature or in a state
of grace — it has been seen and felt that he both
required and enjoyed communion with his species.

Now, if man was never destined for a hermitage
on earth, neither will he be doomed to a solitude
in Heaven. For all the ideas given v>s of Heaven
in the Bible are of the most social character ; and
whether it be there represented as a kingdom, or
a city, or a temple, or a household, or a flock, or a
family, the social condition is involved.

HEAVEN OUR HOME. 105

But what we wish the reader particularly to
mark is, that when Christ describes Heaven to
us, He depicts it especially in its social aspects.
These, in the most prominent manner, He exhibits
to our view. He declares that He shall eventually
" send Bis angels, and gather together his Elect
from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the
earth to the uttermost part of Heaven," (Mark
xiii. 27.) Heaven, then, we see, will be the place
of the Home-gathering of the Saints. And what
does Christ say they will do when thus gathered
Home to God and Heaven ? He tells us they will
then " sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and
Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of
God," (Matt viii. 11, and Luke xiii. 28, 29,) and
eat and drink at His table in His kingdom, (Luke
xxii. 30.)

Here, then, we have presented to us a social
scene of the most delightful character. The angels
have faithfully fulfilled their commission, and
"gathered TOGETHER" from the four winds all
the children of God. These have now entered their

106 A SOCIAL SCENE IN HEAVEN.

"Father's house," and axe seated at their Elder
Brother's table, w company with "Abraham, Isaac,
and Jacob/' and "all the prophets; " and can any
one for a moment suppose that, when thus seated
together, they will continue strangers to each other?
The very idea of such a thing is inconceivably ab-
surd; for Christ tells us of this Banquet-scene in
Heaven, and holds forth this "sitting down" with
patriarchs and prophets " at His table in His
kingdom," as an inducement to us to press onward
and make sure of this celestial Home. But i£
when we get there, we could not recognise one
another, or those ancient worthies mentioned, we
would have no evidence whatever of the fulfilment
of the Saviour's promise, and the hopes of fellow-
ship with those sainted heroes, which that promise
excited and implied, would utterly fail to be
realised.

But what puts the matter beyond all doubt, is
the circumstance that Jesus declares (Luke xiii
28) that "the workers of iniquity" though "thrust
out " of the kingdom, shall then be able to " see

THE SAINTS A HA2FY FAMILY. 107

Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the pro-
phets" who are ik it I£ therefore, even across "the
great gulf "which separates hell from heaven, these
"workers of iniquity," who had once considered
themselves "the children of the kingdom," "shall
see" the Saints referred to, much more, we may
feel assured, that all who will eventually be per-
mitted to "enter in through the gates into the
city," and "sit down" at the celestial feast, will
not only "see" their fellow-guests, but will also be
permitted to associate and rejoice with them for ever.
Christ also teaches the doctrine of mutual re*
cognition when (John xiv. 2) He speaks of heaven
as His " Father's House " with " many mansions"
and so describes the condition of His Saints in
Heaven as that of A happy family collected together,
and rejoicing along with Himself and each other
in the many mansions of this heavenly home.
Hence, too, His prayer, (John xvii. 24,) "Father,
I will that they also whom thou hast given me be
with me where I am;" and, accordingly, we find
that He comforted His troubled disciples by

108 PRESENT RELATIONS OF THE SAINTS.

saying to them, (John xiv. 2, 3,) " I go to prepare
a place for you. And if I go and prepare a
place for you, I will come again, and receive you
unto myself, that where I am, there ye may
be also." Now, if God's redeemed are to dwell
together in their Fathers house, they will surely
be acquainted with each other ; for who ever yet
heard of a happy and united family, dwelling
together in the same house, the members of which
were strangers to one another and enjoyed no
mutual intercourse? Such a supposition is per-
fectly ridiculous, as well as shockingly revolting to
all the tenderest feelings of our nature; and,
therefore, we believe that this delightful domestic
view which Christ, in the passages referred to,
presents to us of our future condition, should of
itself be perfectly sufficient to convince every
unprejudiced mind of mutual recognition and
fellowship in the life to come.

We shall now conclude this section by a very
brief reference to an additional view which Jesus
discloses to us of the present condition of His

ABRAHAM'S BOSOM. 109

departed Saints. In the narrative of Dives and
Lazarus, already mentioned, the Saviour represents
the Sainted beggar, when carried to the heavenly
world, as reclining on "Abraham's bosom" Now,
those who are at all conversant with oriental
manners know that for one person to recline on the
bosom of another — just as John reclined on the
bosom of the Saviour — is the most expressive mode
of exhibiting the enjoyment of fellowship with that
person. When therefore Lazarus was seen by the
lost in Hell, as reclining on the bosom of Abraham
in Heaven, it was seen by those victims of despair
that he was not merely permitted to become per-
sonally acquainted with the patriarch, but also to
hold the most endearing fellowship with him.
And the information which Christ would convey
to us, by thus showing us Lazarus reclining on
the bosom of Abraham, is, that the present rela-
tions of His Saints in glory towards each other are
such as may, perhaps, be best exhibited by the mere
enunciation of the words, Mutual Knowledge —
Confidence — Companionship — and Love.

110 RECAPITULATION.

VII. — RECAPITULATION AND REVIEW OF EVIDENCE.

We have now examined somewhat in detail the
inspired history of our Lord's ministry, so far as
it bears upon the subject we are considering. We
have found that the evidence it furnishes in sup-
port of the doctrine of the mutual recognition of
the redeemed in heaven is of the most abundant,
varied, and cumulative character, and, though
often indirect, it is not on that account the less
satisfactory.

His discourses — the scene of His transfigura-
tion — Hk j>wables and miracles — His description
of the Judgn^nt — and His delineations of Heaven
— all, as with one voice, unite in testifying and
assuring us that the redeemed will for ever know
and associate with each other in the future world.
Nay, they do more ; for our Lord represents those
of His people who had been assisted by others of
His Saints on earth as waiting, like ministering
angels, on the borders of the invisible world to

A GLIMPSE OF HEAVENLY LIFE. Ill

receive these their former benefactors to the
embraces of their affection, and waft them to
everlasting habitations, so soon as they have left
their clay-built tabernacles on earth.

Christ, too, shows us that mutual recognition
after death is not confined to Heaven, but extends
also to Hell, and proves to the inmates of the
latter an additional element of suffering. Yea, it
will tend to make them for ever the subjects of a
profounder wretchedness, inasmuch as it will both
fit them for being witnesses against each other at
the Judgment, and also for being the recriminators
and tormentors of one another throughout the
eternity which will ensue.

From the Transfiguration scene, in which
Messiah furnishes us with a glimpse of heavenly
life, He would have us to conclude that not only
will the Saints of various generations and climes
and conditions know each other and converse
together, but that even in glory they will not
forget the decease " which hath been accomplished
at Jerusalem," and that so the scenes of Cal-

112 MEMORY IN HELL.

vary will still be "talked of" in the Sanctuary
above.

When Jesus drew aside for a moment the cur-
tain which conceals the place of suffering, it was
not merely to let us see "the rich man lifting up
his eyes in Hell, being in torments," but to show
us that Memory is still active there, stinging like
an adder, as it reminds Dives of his former
" lifetime,'' with its " good things ; " and that, in
conjunction with the power of vision, it scourges
him like a scorpion, and fills him with an agony
of remorse and shame, whilst it compels him to
recognise Lazarus as a Saint of God, to whom,
with all his wealth, he had neglected to perform
those acts of mercy which had been rendered by
the very dogs.

By His miracles, too, we have seen Jesus, our

Elder Brother, teaching that He is no "Divider

of Friends or Destroyer of Friendships," but that

He is indeed the great Kestorer, who will yet
deliver back again, to all who will believe in

THE JUDGMENT SCENE. 113

Him, those Saints of His whom death had rudely-
severed and snatched away.

From this account of the Judgment-day we
learn that not only will Jesus, as the great
Heart-Searcher, bring every work into judgment,
with every secret thing, but that His Saints
also will judge the world, and will, of course,
become acquainted with the different cases and
characters that will pass under their review.
The various parties seated before that great
tribunal will then — Christ evidently implies — be
placed face to face, and made to recognise one
another; for the men of Nineveh, and the in-
habitants of Sodom and Gomorrah, will neither
be unnoticed nor unknown when they "rise up
in judgment " to condemn those more guilty
cities, which, though favoured with Messiah's
own ministry, refused His offers, and despised
Hisgraoe.

And so, too, recognition and renewed fellow-
ship are taught in the Saviour's account of

H

114 THE DIVINE FAMILY AT HOME.

Heaven. For, as we have seen, He represents
it as the Family dwelling-place of the "sons
and daughters of the Lord Almighty," where,
"gathered together" as children of the same
Father, they will live together in the many
mansions of the same House, eat and drink
together as companion-guests at the same Table,
and together and for ever behold the glory of
the same Lord.

EVIDENCE FROM THE EPISTLES. 115

CHAFFEE IV.

EVIDENCE FROM THE EPISTLES AND APOCALYPSE.

In considering the testimony borne to the Saints'
future recognition by the apostolic writings, we
shall confine ourselves to an examination of the
Epistles of the great apostle of the Gentiles, and
to the Apocalypse of the beloved John.

The apostle Paul, who, of all mere men that
ever lived, knew most of Heaven — for he alone
had for a time been "caught up" into it* —

* From 2 Cor. xii. 2-4, we learn that Paul was actually
"caught up" to the "third heaven," or "Paradise." It is
astonishing how, after such a plain and repeated assertion, any
one would attempt to fritter away the apostle's declaration,
so as to make this ascension to Heaven denote simply a mere
trance or vision. Such conduct is worthy only of the lowest
Neologian ; for, if we are to believe his own inspired testimony,
Paul was, either "in the body" or "out of the body" reaUy

lib rAUL IN HEAVEN,

was wont to take a view of it similar to that of
his beloved Master, and to describe it as the
Meeting-place and Home of all the children of
God. Accordingly, we find him terming the
congregated body of the redeemed in glory " The
whole Family in Heaven," (Eph. iii. 15,) and
speaking of it as "The Household of God,"
(Eph. ii. 19.)

Now, the ideas conveyed by these appellations
certainly involve Recognition; for no one ever
yet knew "a whole family" or "a household,"
the members of which were mutual strangers.
But we submit that the above-mentioned de-
signations of the redeemed Church imply more
than mere recognition — they convey also the
additional notions of near relationship and

caught up or carried to Heaven, where he heard such words
and saw such things as were unlawful or impossible for him
afterwards fully to make known, though the attentive student
of his writings may discern the influence of this temporary
ascension in many of Paul's subsequent statements. The fable
of Mohammed's pretended journey to heaven may perhaps have
been suggested to the mind of its fabricator by his having read
or heard of this real one of our highly-favoured apostle.

FAMILY COMMUNION IN HEAVEN. 117

intimate communion. The very mention of a
"family " awakens in the mind ideas of the
tenderest and closest union; and the supposition
of a happy and holy household, as that of God
must be, living in a state of estrangement, or in
any other than one of mutual sympathy and
endeared fellowship, is both unnatural and
absurd. The only conceivable circumstances in
which the communion of a happy and rejoicing
family could be interrupted or prevented would
be if the members thereof were separated and
scattered abroad over the Almighty's empire.
No such hypothesis is, in the present case,
admissible, for the Scriptures uniformly represent
the heavenly state as a consociated and united one,
as that of a family or household gathered
together, and living perpetually in the same
place, in company with Christ and with each
other.

That this is so will be abundantly evident from
the following declaration of the apostle PauL
Thus (2 Thess. ii. 1) we read — " Now we beseech

118 THE HOME GATHERING.

you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ, and by our gathering together unto
Him." Yes, when Jesus comes again, He will
indeed (John xi. 52) " gather together in one all
the children of God that have been scattered
abroad " over the surface of the earth during the
successive generations of time. But, further, Paul
not only speaks of this "gathering together" of
the Saints, but also of their being at length pre"
sented together by Christ unto the Father.
Thus, in 2 Cor. iv. 14, he says — " Knowing that
He which raised up the Lord Jesus, shall raise up
us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you."
He declares that they shall not merely be " pre-
sented together," but that they shall also have
" rest " along with one another, when, after the
straggles and tribulation of this life are overcome,
they shall be made to " sit together in heavenly
places in Christ Jesus/' (Eph. ii. 6.) For, in
2 Thess. i. 7, after having declared that God shall
"recompense tribulation" to them that trouble
the Saints, he adds that, to those troubled Saints,

THE FINAL PRESENTATION. 119

the Lord will then give " rest WITH us " — that is,
rest in company with us — " when the Lord Jesus
shall be revealed from Heaven with His mighty
angels."

But a still more interesting passage, as bearing
upon the subject before us, will be found in 1
Thess. iv. 13 18, whore we read :—

"But I would not have you to be ignorant,
brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that
ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again
even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God
bring with Him. For this we say unto you by
the Word of the Lord, that we which are alive
and remain unto the coming of. the Lord, shall
not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord
Himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout,
with the voice of the archangel, and with the
trump of God : and the dead in Christ shall rise
first : then we which are alive and remain shall be
caught up together with them in the clouds, to
meet the Lord in the air : and so shall we ever be

120 SORROWING NOT AS OTHERS.

with the Lord. Wherefore, comfort one another
with these words/'

The apostle here gets him&elf to comfort those
who had been deprived by death of their Chris-
tian friends, and who were still sorrowing under
their crushing bereavements. And what is the
consolation wherewith he comforts them ? He
says to them, " Sorrow not as others which have
no hope;" but what was this, "hope' 1 which he
speaks of as belonging peculiarly to them ? Why,
it was that when God should bring their departed
friends who were " asleep " in Jesus witlt, Him,
that then also they which should be alive and re-
main would be " caught up together with them "
— or in company with them — "in the clouds, to
meet the Lord in the air ; and so," he adds, " shall
we " — even all of us — " ever be with the Lord."
" Wherefore," says he — seeing that God shall thus
eventually bring our beloved dead with Him, and
that they and we shall then be caught up together,
or in each other's company, to meet the Lord, and
that so we all — that is, both our deceased friends

THE COMPANION HETR& 121

and ourselves — shall be together, and for ever,
with the Lord — " comfort one another with these
words," or with this " blessed hope " of reunion
and of restored and perpetual communion which
these words make known.

The same truth is taught in Col. iii. 4, where
Paul declares, "When Christ, who is our life>
shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him
in glory." Yes, the* Saints shall then know, better
than they ever knew before, that they are not only
„ members of Christ," but also " every one mem*
hers one of another! 1 (Eom. xii. 5, and Eph. iv.
21.) And, so far from suffering any curtailment
of privilege by their transference to the heavenly
world, they will, throughout eternity, in a far
higher and closer degree than ever they were in
time, be permitted not merely to enjoy " fellowship
with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ,"
but also to have "fellowship one with another"
For then, as " brethren " of the same Lord, and
joint-heirs"* of the same inheritance, and " chil-

* Literally " companion-heirs,*'

a

122 AIM OF PASTORAL LABOUR.

dren " of the same Divine family, they will enjoy
a closeness of intercourse and sweetness of friend-
ship to which they were comparatively strangers
whilst travelling through this desert wilderness
of earth.

The foregoing views are abundantly corrobo-
rated by what the apostle tells us regarding the
aim and issue of his ministerial labours. Thus,
in Col. L 28, after having spoken of Christ as in
the believer " the hope of glory," he adds, " Whom
we preach, warning every man, and teaching every
man in all wisdom ; that we may present every
man perfect in Christ Jesus." In these words,
Paul informs us that the great object of his efforts
in reference to his hearers was that he might

" PRESENT EVERY MAN PERFECT IN CHRIST JESUS."

But how could he thus present " every man " unless
lie knew him ? The language clearly implies that
the apostle, " in the day of Christ," would be able
to distinguish and single out his hearers from all
others, and present each of them to his beloved
Master as the fruit of his ministry, and the evi-

PAUL PRESENTING HIS HEARERS. 123

dence of his spiritual success. For this he preached,
and warned, and taught, and prayed ; and cherish-
ing this hope, he rejoiced in his sufferings for
them, and was willing to " endure all things " for
their sakes, provided that he might at last be able
to "present every man of them holy, and unblam-
able, and unreprovable " in Messiah's sight.

So also he exhorts the Philippians to "work out
their own salvation with fear and trembling," and
to " shine as lights in the world, holding forth the
word of life/' that, says he, " I may rejoice in the
day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither
laboured in vain,'' (PhiL ii. 16.) Now, this lan-
guage is only warranted and intelligible on the
supposition that the apostle would be able to
recognise these Philippians at the day of Judg-
ment as those amongst whom he had laboured,
and who had been, in some measure at least, pre-
pared for the heavenly kingdon by his exertions.

The truth is, Paul looked upon those converted,
and sanctified, and comforted by his ministry as
forming the proper rewards of that ministry; and,

124 THE pastor's crown.

accordingly, we find him saying to the Thessalo-
nians — " For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of
rejoicing ? Are not even ye in the presence of our
Lord Jesus Christ at His coming ? For ye are our
glory and joy," (1 Thess. ii. 19, 20.) Now, the
apostle could not have cherished any such "hope"
or anticipated any such "joy" or expected any
such " crown" unless he had felt persuaded that
he would then know his hearers, and be for ever
associated with them. But, in the very " presence
of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming, ,, he did
expect to recognise them, and rejoice over them,
as those whom he had been honoured in recovering,
and as the spiritual laurels, the everlasting trophies,
of that mighty victory he himself had won.

Nay, in another place, he represents this re-
joicing as mutual betwixt his hearers and himself;
for, to the Corinthians he thus writes — " Ye have
acknowledged that we are your rejoicing, even
as ye also are ours in the day of the Lord Jesus,"
(2 Cor. i. 14.) Yes, the members of the Church
will both recognise and rejoice to meet their faith-

STIMULUS TO MINISTERIAL ZEAL. 125

fill pastors in the day of Christ, and, in the
presence of the Lord Jesus, acknowledge their
obligations to them, as the instruments of their
spiritual recovery and their helpers to immortal
glory. "Whilst the ministers of Christ will rejoice
over these ransomed members of their flocks as
their fellow^heirs of the kingdom, and as the
crown of rejoicing provided for them by the right-
eous Judge.

And, oh! what a stimulus to ministerial exertion
should such a prospect impart ; for, let the minis-
ter of Christ remember that every soul converted
by his agency is a new jewel added to his celestial
diadem, and that, in building up believers in holi-
ness, he is, as it were, just polishing rubies for his
eternal crown. Let him, then, take care lest by
any remissness he should diminish the weight or
dim the brightness of his heavenly coronet ; and,
above all, let him beware of staining it with any
sin, lest throughout eternity it may shine with a
fainter lustre, or reflect a paler radiance than it
might otherwise have done.

126 EVIDENCE FROM THE APOCALYPSE.

Let us now see how the visions of the Apoca-
lypse bear upon the subject. In Eevelation vi.
9-11, John says — "And when he had opened the
fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them
that were slain for the Word of God, and for the
testimony which they held : and they cried with
a loud voice, saying, How long, Lord, holy and
true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on
them that dwell on the earth ? And white robes
were given unto every one of them ; and it was
said unto them, that they should rest yet for a
little season, until their fellow-servants also, and
their brethren, that should be killed as they were,
should be fulfilled."

From this passage we learn that John was not
the only one who was able to recognise the souls
under the altar as those that had been " slain for
the Word of God, and for the testimony which
they held." They evidently knew each other to
be martyrs, for their cry is, " How long, Lord,
holy and true, dost thou not avenge OUR blood on
them that dwell on the earth ? " They have, we

WHAT MAKTYRS NOW KNOW. 127

see, a perfect reminiscence of their own bloody
death, of the earth on which it occurred, and of the
parties at whose hands it had been endured, whilst
each is marked out by white robes being " given
unto every one of them." They are not kept in
ignorance of what is occurring, or about to happen,
on the earth which they had left; for they are
informed of "their fellow-servants/' and also of
"their brethren" still in the body, that these
" should be killed," as they themselves had been,
and, therefore, they are directed to "rest for a
little season/' till this predicted martyrdom should
take place, and until God should have avenged the
blood of His servants, as they desired. Then will
they raise their song of thanksgiving, saying,
"Thou art righteous, Lord, which art, and wast,
and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus ; for
they have shed the blood of Saints and Prophets,
and thou hast given them blood to drink, for they
are worthy. And again they say, Alleluia.*

And thus, were we to examine minutely all the
visions of this wondrous book which bear upon

128 APOCALYPTIC MINUTENESS.

our subject, we should find that the principle of
individualization, and of distinguishing EACH ONE
according to his character and works, pervades
the entire of it. So far from viewing the inhabi-
tants of the future world as a whole, or in a mass,
it is remarkable for the minuteness and individu-
ality of its descriptions. Not only does it single
out "the beast" and "the false prophet" for
special animadversion, but speaks also particularly
of "prophets," "martyrs," "saints," and "of them
that keep the testimony of Jesus" — marks the
dead as "both small and great" whilst they stand
before God — brings before each man what has
been " written in the books " concerning himself,
and declares " they were judged every man ac-
cording to their works,"

HEAVENLY PERFECTION, 129

CHAPTEE V.

HEAVENLY RECOGNITION NECESSARY TO HEAVENLY

PERFECTION.

We are uniformly taught in the Scriptures that
our condition in Heaven will be a 'perfect one —
that no element of happiness will be wanting
there — that it will possess "fulness of joy," as
well as "pleasures for evermore." If, however,
there is to be no Recognition in Heaven — if its
countless millions are to have no fellowship with
each other, but to remain for ever mutual
strangers, and never to be allowed either to tell
of the grace they received on earth, or to converse
together of the glory to which they have attained
above — why, in such a case, it would be easy for
us to conceive of a more complete, heaven. For,

130 ELEMENTS OF HEAVENLY BLISS.

by the addition of the single element of mutual
acquaintanceship, we would add immeasurably to
its felicity. But the Heaven of the Bible is,
indeed, a Heaven of all possible perfections, and,
therefore, we may safely conclude that this essen-
tial element of a perfected condition cannot and
will not be wanting in the Sanctuary above.

And that this may be evident to all our readers,
we shall, in the present chapter, endeavour to
show that mutual recognition amongst the Saints
in Heaven will be necessary — 1st, To the perfec-
tion of their love ; 2d, To the perfection of their
reward ; 3d, To the perfection of their knowledge
and fellowship ; and, 4£h, To their perfect apprecia-
tion of the providences of God.

I. — HEAVENLY RECOGNITION NECESSARY TO

HEAVENLY LOVE.

"Love," we are told, "is of God" (1 John iv.
7,) and is at once a distinguishing characteristic
of the Christian and of Heaven. It is a dis-

LOVE IN HEAVEN. 13L

Anguishing feature of the Christian, for Christ
says, " By this shall all men know that ye are my
disciples, «• ye love one another." 4t We know,"
says the apostle John, "that we have passed
from death unto life, because we love the
brethren," (1 John iii 14) And as it is an essen-
tial attribute of the u new creature/' so also will it
be of the new creation, for in reference to it Paul
declares, charity or love "never faileth," and
adds, "Now abideth faith, hope, love; but the
greatest of these is love."

But knowledge is necessary to the very existence
of love, and perfect knowledge to the exercise of
perfect love, for we cannot love either person or
thing of which we are totally ignorant; and,
therefore, if in Heaven we are to love one another
fervently, we must know each other perfectly.
And such will be the case; for love is to the
moral creation what attraction is to the material
creation — it is the bond of union. It binds each
to the other, and all to Jehovah. So far, then, from
being a merely animal emotion, which is to be

T32 ETERNITY OF LOVE.

destroyed by death, love is a divine implantation,
which can only find its full and free exercise in
Heaven, and which will breathe and burn with
more than a seraph's fire for ever before the
throne of God. Love to the creature is not at all
incompatible with love to the Creator; for the
law which obtains here will obtain hereafter, and
whilst throughout eternity we shall love God
supremely, we shall also, throughout the same
eternity, " love our neighbour as ourselves! 9 And,
therefore, we quite agree with Southey when he
says —

" They Bin who tell us Love can die :
With life all other passions fly —

All others are but vanity.
In Heaven Ambition cannot dwell,
Nor Avarice in the vaults of Hell;
Earthly, those passions of the earth,
They perish where they have their birth

But Love is indestructible.
Its holy flame for ever buroeth,
From Heaven it came, to Heaven returneth;
Too oft on earth a troubled guest,
At times deceived, at times oppressed,

It here is tried and purified,
Then hath in Hxaven it* perfect rest.

RECOGNITION AND REWARD. 133

It soweth here in toil and care,

But the harvest-time of Love is there."

IL — FUTURE RECOGNITION NECESSARY TO THE
COMPLETENESS OF OUR FUTURE REWARD.

The Bible assures us, that " whatsoever a man
soweth that shall he also reap," and that " every
man shall receive his own reward according to
his own labour," (Gal vl 7, and 1 Cor. iii. 8.)
From these passages we see that the faithful
labourer will finally be blessed in proportion to,
and according to, the character of his labours
now. He will then know that the pleasures
awarded him have not been bestowed at random
or on any capricious principle, but are really the
natural and necessary results of his own works
on earth — that the reaping shall be of the same
character as the sowing, and that he is just
receiving " his own reward according to his own
labour." He must, then, remember the sowing in
order to understand the justness of the reaping.

134 SEE AND BE SATISFIED.

He must recollect the work in order to Be con-
vinced of the righteousness of the reward; and
if he is to» obtain " souls for his hire," he must
he able to recognise them in eternity, in order to
see that they are the legitimate reward* of his
labours in time.

We are told that it was promised to the Saviour
that He should "see of the travail of His souj
and be satisfied/' and, cheered by such a hope,
M He endured the cross and despised the shame."
Now, as it was with the Master so shall it be
with His faithful servants. In this respect they
too will " enter into the joy of their Lord," by
seeing in Heaven the products of their toil on
earth; for, in the redeemed saints brought home
to God by their instrumentality, they, like their
Divine Head, shall "see of the travail of their
soul," and, like Him, they will be "satisfied."
Yes, satisfied; for the very sight of these redeemed
ones will afford them unspeakable satisfaction,
because in them they will behold the proper
reward of all their labours, whilst the thought

THE SADTTS' WORKS FOLLOW THEM. 135

of uninterrupted and everlasting fellowship with
them will heighten immeasurably their celestial
bliss.

In consequence, then, of this mutual recogni-
tion, the saints in glory will be eventually able
to comprehend the entire effects of their labours
and prayers on earth. God, in this present life,
is pleased, in wisdom and mercy, to conceal from
us, to a large extent, the consequences of our
actions, and therefore the devoted pastor will
never see the entire fruits of his ministry, nor the
Christian father be able to estimate aright the
full influence of his efforts and his prayers, whilst
in the body. But as the cycles of eternity roll
on they will be seen ; for " blessed are the dead
which die in the Lord," because, we are told,
"their works do follow them;" that is, the pro-
ducts of their spiritual toil, in the form of souls
awakened, converted, instructed, edified, and com-
forted by their instrumentality, " do follow," and
will contiuue to follow, them to their celestial
dwellings long after they themselves have " rested

136 SUCCESSIVE LABOURERS.

from their labours." And in the fresh arrivals
which will be continually occnrring-in the con-
sequently increasing accessions to the heavenly
circle, and in the mutual gratulations which will
thence arise by means of recognition and renewed
fellowship betwixt the former recipients and dis-
pensers of saving grace — the rest of the intelli-
gent creation will behold successive and most
enrapturing illustrations of the truthfulness of
gospel promises, of the reward of Christian faith-
fulness, and of the blessedness of the communion
of the saints.

These views are still further corroborated by
the declaration of Christ in John iv. 36, where,
speaking of the spiritual reaper, He informs
us, "He gathereth fruit unto life eternal, that
both he that soweth and he that reapeth may
rejoice together/' or in each other's company;
and if so, they must and will recognise one
another. The faithful minister, then, who has
been honoured during his earthly life in forming
"a congregation of faithful men and women," but

BEJOICING TOGETHER. 137

who has been called to the assembly above before
he beheld the completion of his work, will even-
tually recognise and "rejoice with" his devoted
successor who may have been permitted to carry
on the good work, or complete it against the time
of the Lord's coming. The sainted mother, too,
whose chief anxiety when on earth was for the
conversion of her beloved children, but who may
have been suddenly snatched away from them in
their veriest childhood, without witnessing the
accomplishment of her prayers, will, throughout
eternity "rejoice with" her successor, who, in the
providence and mercy of God, may have been
sent to water the seed sown,, and to train those
little ones as plants of Paradise, until all together
have been ripened for the heavenly Eden, and
prepared for " rejoicing together" and for ever in
the bonds of a reciprocal admiration, thanksgiving,
and love.

One person may have been here employed in
the conversion, another in the sanctification, and
a third in the comforting of a child of God, and

138 RETENTION OF KNOWLEDGE.

so at length all three will "rejoice together/'
as having been joint promoters of such believer's
complete salvation. And as all were permitted
to take part in the work of grace of which on
earth he was the subject, so all will "rejoice
together" when they behold in Heaven this re-
deemed one appearing as at once the monument
of the Divine mercy, the fruit of their united
efforts, and the enhancer of their eternal joys.

III.— HEAVENLY RECOGNITION NECESSARY TO THE
RETENTION AND PERFECTION OF OUR KNOW-
LEDGE, AND ALSO TO THE ENJOYMENT OF
HEAVENLY COMMUNION.

Were we not to know one another in a future
state, it would follow that the knowledge of each
other we now possess must be lost, and that in
this respect our ignorance will be greater in
Heaven than it is here. This, however, cannot
be, for the Scriptures assure us that our know-
ledge, so far from being diminished, will be

PERFECTION OF KNOWLEDGE. 139

' vastly enlarged hereafter. Thus Paul, in 1 Cor.
xiii. 9-12, writes — "For we know in part, and
we prophesy in part. But when that which is
perfect is come, then that which is in part shall
oe done away. For now we see through a glass
darkly; but then face to face: now I know in
part; but then shall I know even as also I am
known." In this passage our present condition
as regards knowledge is contrasted with our
future one; and we are expressly told that our
present state is one of very limited information,
whilst our heavenly one will be that of perfect
knowledge, and if so, we cannot possibly be
ignorant of each other. " We shall then know

EVEN AS ALSO WE ARE KNOWN," SO that the old

Welsh minister was quite right, who, when inter-
rupted in his studies by his wife asking — " John
Evans, do you think we shall know each other
in Heaven?" bluntly replied, "To be sure we
shalL Do you think we shall be greater fools
there than we have been here ? "

But still further, Heavenly Eecognition is

140 HEAVENLY COMMUNION.

necessary to Heavenly Communion, for there
can be no communion betwixt strangers. Mutual
knowledge lies at the basis of all fellowship,
whilst confidence, sympathy, and love, are also
required for its exercise; and these essential
elements of communion never can co-exist where
there is no recognition. The doctrine, then, of " the
Communion of the Saints " requires us to receive
this truth also, for none will pretend that "the
Communion of Saints " is confined to the Church
on earth, but all must confess that it embraces
" the whole family" whether " in earth or
heaven;" and so, too, must the privilege of
mutual acquaintanceship — on which such com-
munion depends — be equally co-extensive. And,
therefore, when at length, amidst the brilliancy
of the heavenly city, "we walk in the light as
He is in the light," we shall then have fellowship
"one with another," in a way and to a degree
such as we had but little experience of whilst
subjected to the darkness and coldness of this
world.

EAKTHLY HISTORIANS. 141

Here, then, we see the importance of the doc-
trine of which we have been treating. Abolish
it, and we put an end to "the Communion of
the Saints" in glory; but establish it, and we
lay a basis for some of the most delightful
pleasures and employments of the heavenly world.
Thus, in consequence of being mutually ac-
quainted, the Saints of different generations will
be able to communicate to each other most inter-
esting information regarding the condition of the
Church and of the world in their days, and so
most strikingly illustrate the providence and
grace of God, as manifested during the times and
in the countries in which they lived. For we
must remember that the most faithful of earthly
historians furnish but very imperfect accounts
of the events which they profess to record, and
our most highly- esteemed biographies contain
but very partial and inaccurate views of the
characters they describe. In eternity, then, and
in eternity alone, can we learn " the truth, and the
whole truth," regarding past transactions, and then

142 HEAVENLY TEACHINGS.

only shall we be able to see men in their real
characters.

Many of God's dealings are now obscure to
our minds and staggering to our faith, because
of the partial and erroneous views we have taken
of them, but in eternity all will be made plain.
And if those eldest and most attentive students
in creation — "the principalities and powers in
heavenly places" — learn, even now, from "the
Church " on earth, much of " the manifold wisdom
of God," still more may we expect that the Saints
in glory will instruct and delight each other by
communicating to one another a true account of
the incidents of their former lives. Yes, Adam
will be able to tell us of his primeval bliss in
Eden, and of his bitterness of spirit as he was
driven from that "garden of the Lord;" Eve of
her feelings of commingled gladness and hope,
when, upon the birth of her first-born, she joy-
ously though erroneously exclaimed, " I have
gotten a Man, Jehovah himself."* And both

* In our common English version of Gen. iv. 1, Eve, on the

eve's creed. 143

}ur first parents will then be able to say how
their hearts were wrung, and how they grew pale
with agony, when, in the lifeless body of their
slain son, they saw, in all its terribleness, the
consequence of sin. Bighteous Abel also — yea,
surrounding Cherubim and Seraphim themselves

birth of Cain, is made to say, " I have gotten a man from the
Lord? This rendering is, however, incorrect, as there is no
word in the original Hebrew which properly answers to the
English preposition "from n of our translation ; for the Hebrew
" Eth" so rendered, is not in this place a preposition, but a
particle of emphasis placed before Jehovah, to designate the
object to which it is prefixed in the most explicit manner. The
literal version, then, of what Eve really uttered is that given
above in the text. When, therefore, on the appearance of her
first-born son, Eve exclaimed, as already mentioned, "7 have
gotten a man, Jehovah himself," she evidently thought that
the unhappy Cain was the promised "seed'* and destined
Saviour. And though she was mistaken as to the particular
individual, yet this language of our common mother is interest-
ing, both as a record of primitive belief, and also as proving
that Eve was expecting for her Saviour a God-man mediator ;
and believed that the " seed of the woman * that was to bruise
the serpent's head would be, what we know He really was,
" God manifest in the flesh."

Those who wish to see more on this subject may consult
Dr Pye Smith's " Testimony to the Messiah/' vol i. pp. 228-234,
third edition, London, 1837 ; and Faber's " Horse Mosaicae," vol.
ii. pp. 55, 56, second edition, London, 1818.

144 INFORMATION FROM SETH.

— may tell the wonder and interest that, in the
Upper Sanctuary, arose, when that first Martyr
appeared in Heaven — the earliest specimen of
man fallen, grace triumphant, Death vanquished,
and the soul redeemed.

Seth, too, will be able to give us precise infor-
mation respecting the Church in his days, when
men " first began to call upon the name of the
Lord" Holy Enoch — the first of ' ' living changed,''
— will state his perpetual obligations to that un-
ceasing grace which enabled him, whilst on earth,
to "walk" in daily fellowship with Jehovah,
whilst he narrates the particulars of that marvel-
lous " testimony " which, " before his translation,"
he received — that "he pleased God." From
Noah, the righteous preacher, we shall learn how,
"through faith, moved with fear, and warned of
God," he "prepared the ark, condemned the
world, and became heir of the righteousness
which is by faith. ,,

Abraham will declare how, with throbbing heart
but faith unwavering, he, at the call of Heaven,

ISAAC'S SUBMISSION. 145

left his kindred and his country's gods, and " went
out, not knowing whither he went ; " and how after-
wards, sustained by grace, through faith, he was
enabled to bind, and lift the knife to slay in sacri-
fice, "his son — his only son — Isaac, whom he
loved," and how Divine mercy stayed him, and
Divine love rewarded him, by constituting him
for ever " the father of the faithful, and the Friend
of God." And what lessons of heavenly instruc-
tion good old Isaac may impart, as he talks to us
of the grace which enabled him, even when a
youth,* to acquiesce in his father's sacrificial pur-
pose — which, in after times, enriched his spirit as
he meditated upon the promises of the covenant
"at even-tide," and finally, through faith, pre-
pared him for " blessing Esau and Jacob concern-

* According to the most accurate computations, Abraham
was an old man of one hundred and twenty-five, and Isaac
twenty-five years old, at the time of his intended sacrifice
Great, then, must have been the piety of this " child of pro-
mise," which caused him voluntarily to submit to become the
victim on his father's altar; for, being a young man in full
strength and vigour, who was able to carry from a distance all
the wood required for "a burnt-offering," he could, had ho

K

146 SAINTLY DISCLOSUKES.

ing things to come ?" Jacob will illustrate for us
at once the evils of selfishness, the consequences
of duplicity, and the power of prayer. Joseph
will declare to us how God was with him in the
pit, the prison, and the court, and how he required
grace to serve before Pharaoh's throne as well as
to suffer in Potiphar's dungeon. When Moses
recites his history, we shall see how Egypt's litera-
ture and the piety of his mother-nurse alike com-
bined to fit him for being, in after times, the
Lawgiver of Israel, and the servant of the Lord.
Joshua can say how he was enabled to "fight
valiantly," Caleb, how he "followed the Lord
fully/' and Samuel, how he got grace to warn so
faithfully. Eli will expatiate on his shortcomings,
and David on his more aggravated transgressions,

wished, easily and successfully have resisted the awful purpose
of his aged parent. The very circumstance, too, that he sub-
mitted to be " bound," and to be laid on the altar upon the
wood, proved that, even at this comparatively early age, Isaac
had become partaker of the grace of "faithful Abraham." —
See Hale's "Analysis of Chronology," vol. ii. pp. 123, 124 ; Jose-
phus " Antiq.," i. 13, 2 ; and Kitto's " Pictorial Palestine," vol i.
p. 63.

SPIRITUAL HEBOES. 147

whilst both will adore the mercy that pardoned
and the grace that restored and sanctified them
after alL

Now, this heavenly instruction will be through
the medium of mutual recognition. For without
it we could know nothing hereafter of those an-
cient worthies " who through faith subdued king-
doms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises —
out of weakness were made strong, and turned to
flight the armies of the aliens/' To this mutual
acquaintanceship of the redeemed above will we be
indebted for all farther information we shall receive
from Ezekiel regarding his mysterious visions, or
from Daniel as to his feelings when thrown into
the lions' den. Yes, by means of it we shall learn
from Isaiah if he was "sawn asunder;" from the
" theee childken " of their fellowship with the
Only Begotten one in the furnace ; and from Jeke-
miah of God's presence and grace with him in the
dungeon. Yea, from " all the prophets," how they
were enabled to " believe the promises, " and to
have " respect unto the recompense of the reward."

148 INDIVIDUAL HISTORIES.

Nor will it be with the spiritual heroes of Patri-
archal and Israelitish times merely that heavenly
intercourse will be held. The Saints of every age
and every clime will hold high fellowship above
— apostles as well as patriarchs — Christian fathers
as well as Israel's and Judah's prophets — modern
reformers as well as ancient seers — primitive dis-
ciples and the most recent converts — martyrs and
confessors — missionaries and ministers — the public
Christian and the private and unknown saint — the
most advanced believer and the weakest babe in
Christ will all be congregated there. And as, in
the bonds of an unsullied holiness and breathings
of a perfect love, they commune together regard-
ing their former earthly condition but now glori-
fied estate, they will delight and instruct each
other by the rehearsal of their previous and indi-
vidual histories, as affording so many striking and
varied exhibitions of Jehovah's providence, and
faithfulness, and grace. So that, upon a review of
all, their hearts may beat warmer, and their songs
of blessing be heard louder, and their palms of

DARK PROVIDENCES. 1 49

triumph wave higher, in honour of that Beloved
One, who hath not only washed them in His
blood, but hath at length "gathered" them all
" together " to the heart, and home, and family
of God.

IV. — HEAVENLY RECOGNITION NECESSARY TO THE
PERFECT APPRECIATION OF GOD'S PROVIDENCES.

" What I do thou knowest not now, but thou
shalt know hereafter" is the language of Messiah
to each of His Saints when suffering on earth.
Here Jehovah's dealings towards His people are
often perfectly inscrutable. "Clouds and dark-
ness are round about Him, His way is in the sea,
His path in the mighty waters, and His footsteps
are unknown." The children of Israel are often
sorely discouraged because of the way, for the
night is dark, the road is rough, the pilgrimage
is long, the enemy is powerful, and the desert
blasts are keen : and were it not for the promise,
"Lo, I am with you alway" the pilgrim's heart

150 HEAVENLY WATCHERS.

would utterly fail. It is the presence of the
Jehovah- Angel which cheers him, it is His power
alone sustains him; and, as he goes up through
the wilderness, it is on the bosom of the Beloved
alone he leans. But when at length, through
grace, he has reached the Heavenly Zion, and
become " perfect before God," then does he know
even as also he is known, and see as he is seen.
The day of the revelation of all things has come ;
and by the "great cloud of witnesses'' — those
heavenly watchers — that, during all his life long,
encompassed him, and who, though unseen, were
constant and interested spectators of his course,
the sorely tried Christian is taught that what he
once considered his severest afflictions, were in
reality the Saviour's choicest love-tokens to his
souL Yes, these elder members of the family
that have been long in glory will make it evident
to the newly-arrived Saint,* that all the hammer-

* In several parts of the Book of Revelation, not only Christ,
but several other inhabitants of Heaven, are introduced as
teaching John, by explaining to him his difficulties, and by
giving him important information regarding both the future

CELESTIAL TUTORS. , 151

ing and hewing, the chiselling and the cutting, the
rubbing and the polishing to which he was so
frequently and long subjected below, were just
because he was eventually destined to occupy no
ordinary place in the heavenly temple, but to
shine for ever as one of the choicest jewels in the
Kedeemer's crown. They will then enable him to
understand that, in all His dealings, Messiah was
acting towards him with a benevolence which

and the past. Now, if these celestials instruct one who was
then only permitted to " look " in through the " door " which
was for a little " opened in Heaven," much more may we expect
will they rejoice to teach those who have " entered in through
the gates" and have for ever become inmates of the Holy
City.

From Rev. vii. 13, 14, it would appear that the older Saints
take particular pleasure in instructing those to whom the
scenes and society of Heaven are still strange. Thus, in the
passage just referred to, we find that when John, astonished at
what he witnessed, but restrained by humility from inquiring,
stood silent in the presence of " one of the elders " sent to in-
form him, this " elder " brother of the family, with a kindness
and delicacy quite characteristic of a Saint in glory, gently
stimulated the curiosity of his younger brother still in the body
by himself proposing to the apostle the question, "What are
these ?".... and " whence came they ? " which was just a
gentle way of saying, " Do you know them ? * or " Would you
like to know what they are, and whence they came?" And

152 THE EOTJGH BUT EIGHT WAY.

never injured, and with a wisdom that never
erred. So that, as he stands complete with all
" the redeemed from among men," on the top of
the Heavenly Zion, and from its cloudless sum-
mits looks back upon the way in which he has
been led, the new but now glorified inhabitant of
Heaven will see that, though he may have been
led by a rovgh way, he has been brought by the

then John having replied to the effect that his elder and more
experienced companion did know, and, consequently, could
inform him, this " elder " Saint proceeds to describe to him the
blood-washed multitudes before him, and to tell him of the
unending happiness they enjoyed.

Whilst, then, Christ Himself will of course be the Saint's
Great Teacher in glory as well as in grace — for the Lamb, we
are told, (Rev. vii. 17,) will still "feed them and lead them unto
living fountains of waters ; " that is, He will feed them with
heavenly knowledge, and lead them to new fountains of intel-
lectual and moral joy — yet we have reason to believe that those
who have been long in glory, and who may have formerly
ministered faithfully to Messiah in the tabernacles of His
mercy, will continue to " serve Him day and night n in the
temple of His glory — not only by the direct acts of worship
they will render, but also by those more indirect services they
will perform — by gradually unfolding to the new and younger
inhabitants of the celestial world the glory of the Saviour's
heavenly character and kingdom, just as they may have formerly
dispensed to such of the blessings of His providence and grace.

ALL WELL. 153

right way to the " city of habitation." He will
then be prepared to say of Jesus as the people
did of old, " He hath done all things well." Whilst
encompassed by the light, and participating in
the love and joy of all around him, he will, in
the overflowings of rapturous gratitude, catch the
spirit of these sainted worthies, and joining in
their heavenly anthem, will throughout eternity
with them rejoice to sing, " Great and marvellous
are thy works, Lord God Almighty, just and true
have been aU thy ways, thou King of Saints."

PART II.

OBJECTIONS TO FUTURE RECOGNITION

ANSWERED.

OUR FRIENDS IN HEAVEN.

INTRODUCTION.

Having, in the preceding portion of this work,
examined at length the varied and abundant
evidence furnished by the Scriptures in support
of the Mutual Eecognition of the Kedeemed in
glory, we come now, in this Second Part, to
review the chief objections which have been
urged against it.

And here we must premise that, if we will not
receive any truths but such as cannot be objected
to, we must be content to remain in a condition
of universal and perpetual scepticism ; for against
truth of every description objections have been,

\

A

.158 OBJECTIONS TO RECOGNITION.

and may still be brought ; but the question which,
in all such cases, we have to decide is, — Are the
objections to a doctrine of such a character as to
neutralise or destroy the positive evidence in its
favour? for if not, they must not be allowed to
interfere with the reception of the truth in
question. Now, as we shall presently see, the
objections and difficulties felt with regard to
mutual recognition hereafter, do not in the slight-
est degree invalidate it; they do not overturn
or even weaken so much as one of the proofs
adduced in its behalf; and they cannot, by any
possible ingenuity, be represented as contradictory
to it. Besides, if they were really of force, their
admission would land us in far greater difficulties
than any which can be brought against the truth
to which they are supposed to be antagonistic.
When properly examined, however, it will be
seen that they all have their origin in ignorance
— are based on a few imaginary and unwarranted
notions with regard to our state hereafter — arise
from mistaken and contracted views of certain

THEIR SOCBCE. 159

Scriptures — and are caused by false conceptions
of the conditions of heavenly society itself. That
such is the case, will, we trust, be abundantly
evident to all our readers, once we have con-
sidered these objections in detail, which we now
accordingly proceed to do.

160 FIRST OBJECTION.

CHAPTEE I.

OBJECTION FIRST. — THE CHANGE WE UNDERGO
AFTER DEATH — NATURE OF THE RESURREC-
TION BODY.

One of the chief objections brought against the
doctrine of recognition in the world to come,
arises from the supposed greatness of the change
which will be wrought on us in a future state.
The most extravagant ideas are wont to be
entertained on this matter, and the conceptions
of many as to the nature of the transformation
which death, the grave, and resurrection com-
bined will effect, are such as, if well founded,
would really constitute us an entirely new order
of beings. Now, we must beware of all such
extravagances, and ever endeavour to remember

THE CHANGE AT DEATH. ' 161

that the great object of the gospel is not to
destroy or metamorphose, or essentially to alter
our nature, but to redeem, renew, and perfect
it. The change, then, to be effected is one o£ per-
fect development rather than of essential altera-
tion. We are to be the subjects of a complete
purification and wondrous expansion, but not at
all of a transmutation or substantial change. We
shall still be human beings, for it was human
nature Christ assumed, such He has redeemed,
such He will completely sanctify, and yet fully
glorify; if, therefore, the design of the Saviour's
mission is to be accomplished, we must continue
to wear our humanity throughout eternity. The
change, then, to be wrought on us is not one of
nature, or essence, but of condition; for in this
present life we are but in the infancy, if not in
the very embryo of our existence, and the full
manhood of our being will not be attained till
we enter the eternal world.

But some, perhaps, may say that we can form
no idea of the change undergone by the Saint

162 SPIRITUAL DISCLOSURES.

after death, or of his condition in Heaven. This,
however, is quite a mistake. We readily admit
that, apart from revelation, we could know
nothing on the subject; yea, that except so far
as they are warranted by the Scriptures, we
have no right either to hold or promulgate any
opinions whatever regarding our future condition.
It is, however, both our duty and our privilege
to learn and believe all that God has revealed
concerning it; for whilst "secret things belong
unto the Lord our God/' yet " those things which
are revealed belong unto us and to our children/ 9
(Deut. xxix. 29.) Now, when we diligently
examine the Scriptures, we find that Jehovah
has made known to us not a little on this very
point, and exhibited it, too, in the way we may
most easily understand it; for, as we have seen
in the previous part of this book, He has pre-
sented us with various specimens of our future
condition, He has, on more than one occasion,
drawn aside the veiL and let us see some of the
inhabitants of the eternal world; He has shown

OUB HClCAXm CONTINUED. 163

us both lost sinners and glorified believers. We
have seen those, once monarchs on earth, in their
misery in Hell, and Dives, who was once clothed
in purple, now tormented in the burning flame.
On the other hand, again, we have various illus-
trations of humanity from the heavenly world;
for we have had Elijah, a Saint glorified in both
sotd and body, and also Moses, illustrating the
condition of one glorified in a disembodied state.

Now, what do all these inhabitants of eternity
show us ? Just that they are human beings still,
and capable both of recognition and companion-
ship — though to the one these prove a blessing,
and to the other a curse. We see, then, there
is no room for doubtful speculation, either as to
the reality of future recognition or the nature
of our future change. God has made them both
matters of positive revelation, and shown us what
we are bound to believe with regard to these
things. Unless, therefore, we are prepared to
reject the entire body of Scripture evidence
already presented, we can have no hesitation in

164 HUMANITY EVOLVED.

holding, with patriarchs, prophets, apostles, and
the most enlightened Saints of every generation
of the Church, the doctrines of mutual recognition
and restored companionship in Heaven. With
them, too, we must believe that we are not to
be the subjects of some undefined and aimless
metamorphosis hereafter, but that our humanity,
whilst remaining substantially unaltered, will
be evolved and perfected in the coming world.

That the nature of our final change is not to
be such as will make recognition impossible, may
be rendered still more evident by considering the
amount of change manifest in our Lord after His
resurrection.

Christ, let us recollect, is the model of His
Saints, not merely as to character, but also as to
form. " When He shall appear we shall be like
Him," (1 John iii. 2 ;) like Him, not only in moral
character, but in bodily conformation : for we are
expressly told He "shall change our vile body,
that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious
body? (Phil iii. 21.) The glorified body of the

THAT SAME JESUS. 165

Saint, then, is to be modelled after the glorified
body of the Saviour, or like unto His resurrection
body : for the resurrection body of Jesus is the
one He took to Heaven and wears in glory, and
this is to be the model of His Saints : for we are
informed that, " If we have been planted together
in the likeness of His death, we shall be also in the

LIKENESS OF HlS RESURRECTION," (Eom. VL 5.)

We have, therefore, only to consider the nature
of Christ's raised up and glorified body, in order
to learn the character of the. glorified bodies of
His Saints, and to this matter let us now request
the reader's attention.

Was Messiah's body, then, after His resurrec-
tion, so changed as to be incapable of recogni-
tion ? By no means. " That same Jesus whom
ye crucified" says the apostle Peter, "hath God
raised up, whereof we all are witnesses." Had
Christ been quite changed after His resurrection,
the apostles could not have identified Him, and
therefore could not have borne witness to Him.
It was necessary, however, that Christ should be

166 PBOOF OF CHRIST'S RESURRECTION.

recognised, and so unmistakably identified, that
His previous claims and predictions might be
established, and Christianity proved true; for
Christ's resurrection was at once the testing point
and the crowning evidence both of His Sonship
and Messiahship; and unless His resurrection
had been triumphantly proved, Christianity must
have failed. Therefore Paul says, "If Christ be
not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your
faith is also vain ; ye are yet in your sins. Then
they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are
perished/' (1 Cor. xv. 14, 17, 18.) The rejec-
tion of recognition, then, is no trivial matter, for
it would render the proof of Christ's resurrection
impossible, and lead to its consequent denial;
for it will be impossible to prove His resurrec-
tion if we fail to establish the fact of His
recognition by His disciples during the interval
that elapsed between His death and ascension to
Heaven.

Accordingly, we find that Christ himself was
most desirous of affording to all His apostles the

HIS HANDS AND SIDE. 167

fullest possible evidence of His being still the
"same Jesus " after His resurrection that He
was before His death. Hence He condescended
to give them the most indubitable and minute
proofs that He had undergone no essential change,
for He enabled them to recognise Him in many-
different ways. By His voice — by His hands and
feet — by the nail-prints in His hands — by the
scar in His side — by showing them His flesh and
bones — and by His eating before them, He con-
vinced them that He was still the same. And
that our readers may also be convinced of it, let
them attentively examine the following passages
of Scripture : —

In John xx. 20, we find that Jesus having, on
the evening of the day of His resurrection, come
and saluted His disciples, "showed unto them
His hands and His side." Here we see that
Jesus not only spake unto the apostles, saying,
"Peace be unto you," so that they might again
be gladdened by His well-known voice, but " He
showed unto them His hands and side," that,

168 Thomas's scepticism.

by observing the print of the nails in the one, and
the mark of the spear-thrust in the other, they
might be assured that He continued to wear the
same humanity as before, and therefore it is
added, " Then were the disciples glad when they
saw the Lord? So also the apostle Thomas,
having turned sceptic and said, (ver. 25,) "Ex-
cept I shall see in His hands the print of the
nails, and put my finger into the print of the
nails, and thrust my hand into His side, I will
not believe," Jesus graciously condescended to
dissipate his scepticism by giving him the veiy
evidence he required; for, eight days afterward,
He appeared, and said to Thomas, (ver. 27,)
"Eeach hither thy finger and behold my hands,
and reach hither thy hand and thrust it into my
side, and be not faithless, but believing." Now,
if the body of the Saviour, after His resurrection,
had not been distinguished by the same external
appearance as before it, the evidence required by
Thomas could not have been furnished, and his
infidelity might have continued.

FLESH AND BONES. 169

And that our Lord's resurrection and glorified
body is a material and solid body of flesh and
bones may be seen by turning to Luke xxiv. 36-
43, where we learn that, on the first appearance
of the risen Saviour to the congregated disciples,
they were "affrighted and supposed that they
had seen a spirit;" but Jesus dispelled their fears
by saying, (ver. 39,) " Behold my hands and my
feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see;
for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see
me have" Yea, still further, in order to remove
any doubt that might still have remained, we are
told He as^ed for "meat; " and the disciples hav- #
ing given Him " a piece of a broiled fish, and of
an honey-comb," He took these, and "did eat
before them all;" and the evidence thus fur-
nished proved quite satisfactory to the apostles,
who went everywhere declaring that the Lord was
indeed risen, and had appeared unto them.

But some may here object, and say that the
two disciples who were journeying towards
Emmaus did not know Jesus when He joined

170 THE SPIBITUAL BODY LIKE CHRIST'S.

them by the way. (See Luke xxiv. 13-32.)
This is quite true, but the cause of this non-
recognition was not in Him, but in them ; for it
is expressly mentioned, (ver. 16,) "Their eyes
were holdEn that they should not know Him"
It required, then, the exercise of a supernatural
influence to prevent recognition, but when this
miraculous hindrance was removed they at once
knew Him.

But, again, it may be said that, as our resur-
rection bodies will be "spiritual," they must be
altogether different from our present ones, and,
therefore, will be incapable of being recognised
by the same means. Now, our first remark on
this statement is, that let the future bodies of
the Saints be what they may, they must and will
be like the Saviour's, for, as we have seen, they
will be "fashioned like unto His glorious body,"
(Phil. iii. 21.) Secondly, we reply that, though
our resurrection bodies may be " spiritual bodies/'
they will not be at all more spiritual than our
Lord's; for we have already been informed (Eom.

THE GLORIFIED BODY. 171

vi. 5) that, "if we have been planted together in
the likeness of His death, we shall be also in the
LIKENESS OF His resurrection." But third, and
more especially, we observe that this objection
is caused by an entire misapprehension as to
what is meant in Scripture by " a spiritual body."
It is generally, though most erroneously, con-
sidered that " a spiritual body " must necessarily
be an immaterial one, and Dr Hitchcock,* of
America, and others, have most absurdly con-
ceived that it might be a sort of gaseous body —
just as if a body of gas, no matter how sublimated
or rarefied, would not still be material. In order,
however, to know what is really meant by a
spiritual body, let us examine the language of
Paul on the subject.

The apostle, when speaking of the change
which is to be effected on the believer's body
at the Eesurrection, says, (1 Cor. xv. 44,) "It
is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual
body."

* See Hitchcock's "Religion of Geology."

172 SPIRITUAL YET MATERIAL.

The phrase " natural body" in our translation,
is now generally acknowledged to be a most
unfortunate version of the original (a&fia ityvx llc ° v >)
which should have been rendered " animal body!*
Now what Paul here teaches is — that our present
body, which is an "animal body," will at the
resurrection cease to be so, and become then
a "spiritual body" (a&fjia irvevfiaTt/cov ;) but he
does not say that this spiritual body will be
immaterial He does not say that it will not
be a solid human body of flesh and bones like
the Saviour's. No; the apostle had elsewhere
taught that our future bodies would be "like
His," and therefore, as Christ's was a solid
material body of flesh and bones, ours must be
so too. The spirituality of the glorified body
cannot, then, be inconsistent with its materiality,
and, in fact, it is not contrasted with it at all, but
is merely opposed to its animality — Animality
being the distinguishing feature of our "present
vile " bodies, whereas spirituality will be the great
characteristic of our future glorified bodies.

THE ANIMAL BODY. . 173

Hence arises the question — What are we to
understand by an animal body, and what by a
spiritual body? To this we answer — Just what
the Corinthian Greeks, to whom Paul wrote,
meant by them; for Paul, in writing to these
Greeks, used their language in its ordinary
acceptation, and made use of such expressions
as they would readily understand. Now we find
that the Greeks believed in two sorts of bodies,
the one sort they called (adbfiara irvev^iaTLKa)
spiritual bodies, and the other (acofiaTa ^v^lko)
animal bodies. Both of these they considered
were material and solid, consisting of flesh and
bones, but the spiritual body (aco/Ma irvsvyji-
tvkov) was, according to them, a body possessed
by a 7rvev/j,a or pure spirit, which was entirely
bereft of all animal propensities and passions;
whereas the Unimal body (a&fia ^vj(lkov) was
a body possessed by a ^vyy or animal nature,
the seat of carnal appetites and desires. What
Paul says, then, (1 Cor. xv. 44,) is, that our body,
till death, is a body occupied by a ^rvxv> ov

174 THE SPIRITUAL BODY.

animal principle; but he tells us that, when
raised in glory, it will be rid of this fyvxfi)
animal nature, and will then be a (cr&fia irvevfia-
tlkov) "spiritual body," inhabited only by the
(irpev/jba) pure spirit, and delivered from all those
grovelling appetites and desires to which it was
formerly subjected. Like Christ's own raised up
and glorified body, however, it will still continue
to be a body of flesh and bones, and yet a
spiritual body, or body inhabited by a pure
spirit, freed from the animality — the sensuous
nature and corruption of its former condition —
and fitted for being to the indwelling and rejoic-
ing spirit the organ of communicating the most
exquisite and perpetual delights.*

Another difliculty in reference to this subject,
which it may be necessary to notice, is that arising

* The Greeks were worffc to clothe their gods in material
bodies, but these consisted not of "jlesh and blood," but of
flesh and bones; for they looked upon the blood as the seat
of animality and corruption, and in the bodies of the Immortals
(whom they styled avalfioves, or bloodless) they supposed the
blood or corrupt principle was supplanted by a pure celestial
fluid called ty&p (Ichor.) When, therefore, Paul tells us (1 Cor.

MARY MAGDELENK 175

from the circumstance, that when Jesus appeared
to Mary Magdalene on the morning of His resur-
rection, she at first did not recognise Him, but
supposed Him to be "the gardener." Now, her
mistake was occasioned, not by the greatness of
the change wrought on the Saviour, but most pro-
bably by the circumstance that there was not
then light sufficient to discern His countenance.
Besides, it appears from the narrative that shp
had either her hack, or at least her side, towards
Christ ; for we are informed that, when she even-
tually recognised Him by His voice, she had to

"turn herself" in order to see Him

t

Thus, in John xx. 1, we are told that, " when it

was yet dark/' Mary came to the sepulchre, and
finding that Jesus was not there, she stood "weep-
ing," supposing that they had " taken away " her

xv. 50) that " Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of
God," all he means to teach is, that the carnality and corruption
of the present body wiU have no existence in the future one,
not that this latter will cease to be a material body like the
Saviour's. Indeed, the apostle, in the same verse, explains his
own meaning by immediately adding, "Neither doth corruption
inherit incorruption*

176 RECOGNITION BY THE VOICE.

Lord. Jesus himself, however, approached her,
but in the dimness of the early twilight, when she
was absorbed in thought — when her eyes were
blinded with weeping— when she was not expect-
ing to meet Him, and when, in fact, it appears
she was turned away from Him — we need not be
surprised that she did not at once recognise Him.
But when He spake to her, and said, "Mary,"
she immediately recognised the well-known and
much-loved voice, and we are told (ver. 16) she
forthwith " turned herself," and said, " Rabboni,
Master"

Mary then recognised Christ, not indeed by His
face, for it appears she could not see it, but by His
voice,* which shows that not only the hands, and
feet, and face of Jesus, but His voice also remained,
on the whole, unaltered by passing through the

•* As the blind in this life identify each other by the voice
and not by vision, may we not expect that, when their now sight-
less eye-balls shall have been opened and illumined by the light
of immortality, they will, at least in the first instance, recognise
each other in Heaven by those same voices which they knew
and loved so well on earth ?

THE DOORS SHUT. 177

tomb. All were recognisable, and proved that the
very same Jesus who had been crucified was
raised again.

Some, again, have supposed that the resurrec-
tion body of Jesus must have been completely
changed from what it was, because we are in-
formed, (John xx. 19,) that He appeared to the
disciples " when the doors were shut where they
were assembled for fear of the Jews." I >om these
words the sage conclusion has been drawn, that
He passed through either the stone walls or barred
and bolted doors, and must, consequently, have
had a most attenuated and etherealised body.
Now, in reply, we observe that we have no evi-
dence whatever that these doors, though shut,
were either bolted or barred. Even supposing
they were, was it not as befitting that they should
voluntarily or supernaturally open for the risen
Messiah as it was that the city gate should open
for the apostle Peter and the angel, which, from
Acts xii. 10, we find was actually the case ; for of
this iron gate of the city it is there said, it " opened

178 THE STONE ROLLED AWAY.

to them of its own accord, and they went out and
passed through one street."

Besides, it strikes us that the object of the
apostle in recording the circumstance mentioned
was not to tell us how but when Christ came
amongst the disciples. John informs us that it
was " at evening'' when the world was shut out,
and when they were shut in, safe from all their
enemies ; that then, at this time most appropriate
for fellowship, Jesus came to commune with and
comfort them. But to suppose that, when He did
so, He passed either through stone walls or doors
still barred, is a vain and unwarranted conceit.
If so, why the wonders of the resurrection hour —
why the shaking of the earthquake, or the descent
of the angel to roll away the stone ? Surely if the
ptone must be rolled away in the one case to let
the Messiah out, it was just as necessary that the
doors should be opened, though supernaturally, in
the other, to let Him in. If He could pass through
the doors without opening, He could as easily have

CHRIST THE FIRST FRUITS. 179

passed through the stone without its being rolled
away, or the seal of the sepulchre being broken.
But we believe He did neither. The stone was
rolled away, and the doors were opened, amongst
other purposes, to show that it was no phantom
that appeared, but that Jesus, when risen, was
still "bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh;"
and that the very same body which agonised in
Gethsemane and bled on Calvary was to be taken
to the Upper Sanctuary, and there seated in
highest dignity as " the first fruits of them that
sleep! 7 *

* The materiality and sameness of the resurrection and glorified
body of Jesus are very clearly borne witness to in the fourth of
the Thirty-nine Articles of the Church of England, which de-
clares, " Christ did truly rise again from death, and took again
His body, with flesh, bones, and all things pertaining to the
perfection of man's nature, wherewith He ascended into Heaven,
and there sitteth until He returns to judge all men at the last
day." So also the Westminster Divines, in the answer to the
fifty-second question of their u Larger Catechism," testify of
Christ that " He rose again from the dead on the third day,
having the very same body in which He suffered, with the essen-
tial properties thereof, but without mortality and other common
infirmities belonging to this life."

180 NEW CAPACITIES.

Thus we have seen that the objection brought
against future recognition, from the supposed
change to be wrought on us after death, is utterly
worthless and untenable, seeing that, though
changed, we shall not be completely metamor-
phosed; for the resurrection body, though glori-
ously improved, will still be capable of being iden-
tified with its former self True, it may, and pro-
bably will, have some new capacities imparted to
it, such as the power of rendering itself invisible,
(see Luke xxiv. 31,) and of occasionally altering
its form, (see Mark xvi. 12 ;) but these occasional
and extraordinary operations of which it may be
susceptible will not at all interfere with its usual
normal condition. The moral requirements of the
case, and the final triumph of the Eedeemer, both
seem to demand that it should eventually be seen
by the whole intelligent creation that Jesus, as
God's anointed Son and our Almighty Saviour,
was able to destroy the works of the Devil in man
without destroying or materially altering man him-

OUB IDENTITY PERPETUATED. 181

self. Messiah, therefore, will eventually save and
glorify His people without eradicating those ex-
ternal marks of individuality by which each was,
and may for ever continue to be, distinguished
from all the rest.

182 SECOND OBJECTION.

CHAPTEE IT.

OBJECTION SECOND. — CHRIST'S ANSWER TO THE
SADDUCEES REGARDING MARRIAGE.

Another objection to our doctrine has "been
founded on the answer which Christ gave to the
Sadducees, when they asked Him whose wife she
who had been successively married to seven
husbands would be in the resurrection.

We are told, (Matt. xxiL29, 30,) " Jesus answered
and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the
Scriptures, nor the power of God. For in the
resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in
marriage, but are as the angels of God in Heaven."
Now, all Christ here declares is, that, amongst the
inhabitants of Heaven, marriage does not exist.
He does not say they are unacquainted with each

WHY MARRIAGE WILL CEASE* 183

other, or that they have no fellowship together;
on the contrary, He asserts that " they are as the
angels of God in Heaven." But the angels are
certainly able to recognise each other, and enjoy
mutual communion; and we may be perfectly
satisfied that the " brethren of the Lord" are not
less highly favoured. In fact, we find that Christ
assigned a very sufficient reason for the cessation
of the marriage relation in the heavenly world;
for, in Luke xx. 35, after having informed the
Sadducees that "they which shall be accounted
worthy to obtain that world and the resurrection
from the dead, neither marry nor are given in
marriage/' He adds, "Neither can they die any
more" Marriage in this world is the ordinance
God hath appointed to repair the ravages of
death; but as in Heaven there will be no death,
so there no such compensatory institution as mar-
riage will be required to counterbalance the effects
of dissolution. When rightly understood, then, we
see that our Lord's answer does not in the least
militate against future recognition or renewed

184 CHRIST'S ANSWER EXPLAINED.

companionship in heaven , nay, it rather supports
it. For, if no such recognition or fellowship
existed, would not Christ most completely have
silenced them by saying, "Ye do err; for your
question proceeds upon the supposition that not
only will marriage continue in Heaven, but also
that your knowledge of each other and mutual
fellowship will be there perpetuated; but such
will not be the case, for all remembrance of
earthly things and relations will then be for ever
obliterated, and an entirely different condition of
life will there prevail." But the great Prophet did
no such thing. He only corrected their notions
with regard to futurity, so far as these were
erroneous; and in allowing them to retain that
belief in heavenly recognition and perpetuated
friendship, which we know the Jews certainly
held, He would have us to infer that their opinions
were so far correct.

The truth is, the continuance of the nuptial, or
of any other earthly relation, is by no means
necessary to recognition and fellowship hereafter.

UNION TO CHRIST. 185

Earthly relationships do not form the proper basis
of the union and communion which, even in this
life, exist between the children of God, and they
are, therefore, in no way required for their per-
petuation ; for the ties of consanguinity or affinity
are not now the bonds of any spiritual union, nor
do they necessarily give rise to any spiritual com-
munion. We wish it, then, to be very distinctly
understood, that we base our hope and conviction
of the Saints' restored and perpetuated fellowship
in Heaven on their present union to one another
in Christ They are now all one in Christ
Jesus ; and we hold that this vital union formed
betwixt them and Christ, and which unites them
to each other in Him, is perpetual and indestruc-
tible.

It can never perish. Neither death nor the
grave destroys it. Even when these prevail, the
union continues though the communion may be
stayed. The fellowship is not destroyed; it is
only for a little interrupted by the dissolution of
the body of one of the parties participating in it;

186 SEPARATION INCREASING LOVE.

and even this temporary suspension of fellowship
may be the divinely-selected means of causing
it to flourish more vigorously than ever in the
Sanctuary above. We have known a short sepa-
ration of friends on earth causing them, when
restored to one another, to love each other with a
more tender regard ever afterwards; and what
has occurred here may, and probably will, be the

case hereafter. Thus the temporary separation
which death has caused between us and our
beloved in Christ who haye gone before us, may
be the instrumentality God, in the sovereignty of
His love, has appointed for refining, strengthen-
ing, and increasing our attachment to each other
throughout all eternity.

Whilst, however, we not only admit, but
maintain, that all earthly relationships terminate
with this present life, we by no means believe
that the remembrance of such relationships thus
terminates. We have already shown that Memory
will be perpetuated in the future world, and we
are, therefore, warranted in holding that we shall

RELATIONSHIPS REMEMBERED. 187

have a perfect recollection of the various con-
nexions in which we stood associated to one
another on earth. Though we feel persuaded
that no merely earthly unions, instincts, or affec-
tions, will exist hereafter, yet, at the same time,
we consider that God may make, and, as a matter
of fact, often has made these instrumental in
accomplishing the purposes of His grace. For
God often " setteth the solitary in families" that
by means of the family institution and family ties
He may "prepare many sons and daughters unto
glory." We are not, therefore, for a moment to
suppose, that a total obliviousness of these rela-
tions will prevail in the world to come. We
conceive the very contrary will be the case, and
that the recollection of our previous earthly
relations and conditions will sweeten our inter-
course in Heaven. We must, however, be careful
to remember that merely animal affections are
never to be confounded with purely spiritual
emotions, and that, whilst the former belong to
that flesh and blood which can never inherit the

188 NATUEAL FEELINGS BLESSED.

kingdom of God, the latter form an essential part
of that higher nature which is to exist for ever.
Yet our merely instinctive feelings have often
been so directed as to have become subservient
to the formation and development of a purely
spiritual character. Yes, they frequently have
been handmaids to religion, and have been made
the instruments, not only of the sinner's conver-
sion, but also of building him up in holiness, and
of preparing him for the exercises and enjoyments
of the heavenly life. But though this has been
so, yet they themselves, like the parts of a scaf-
folding which have fulfilled their functions, will
at last be removed, as no longer required for the
structure which they assisted in erecting.

OBJECTION THIRD. 189

CHAPTER III

OBJECTION THIRD. — CHRIST ALONE WILL ENGAGE
OUR ATTENTION IN HEAVEN.

The next objection to recognition in Heaven
which we shall consider, may perhaps, be pre-
sented in its most imposing form by the narra-
tion of the following anecdote : —

We have heard it stated that a Christian man
who had been bereaved of a pious wife, upon
being asked if he would be able to recognise his
deceased partner in heaven, replied that he did
not know ; but, that, even if he were capable of
so doing, he would be so entirely occupied look-
ing at Christ that his wife might be for ages at his
side before he would think of noticing her. Now,
we question not the reality of the devotional feel-

T90 MISTAKES.

ing which prompted the above declaration, but
we have no hesitation in saying, that such a
sentiment manifests anything but enlightened
piety, and is, in fact, founded on very gross
ignorance both of the Scriptures and of heavenly
life. It is evidently based on three false assump-
tions. First, It erroneously supposes that our
condition in heaven will be a passive one, and
that we are to be for ever occupied in gazing,
motionless as statues, at the visible and glorified
Eedeemer. Second, It rashly assumes that the
glory of the Saviour, which the Saints will be
privileged to behold, is altogether of a material
and visible character, concentrated on, or sur-
rounding His glorified body. In the third place,
It ignorantly presupposes that the love and
admiration of the Eedeemer are incompatible
* with the existence and cultivation of mutual
affection and fellowship amongst the members
of His glorified household.

Now, all such assumptions as those mentioned
are entirely unwarranted by the Word of God.

THE SAINTS BUSY IN HEAVEN. 191

It never teaches that the saints in heaven are
merely passive, but uniformly represents them
as actively and variously employed in the service
of Jehovah. Yes, when freed from the clogs and
encumbrances of this present life, the children
of the Most High serve Him with such an alac-
rity and vigour as they were quite incapable
of whilst here. On earth the Saints can render
neither a complete nor untiring obedience, but
in Heaven it is both perfect and unceasing; for
we are told they " serve God day and night in His
temple" Instead, then, of staring idly at any
visible splendour, however great, they find full
exercise for all their immortal energies and per-
fected faculties in manifold acts of obedience to
the Divine will, and in the continued study and
exhibition of the Divine glory.

This leads us to observe that the sentiment we
are combating unwarrantably assumes that the
Saviour's glory is altogether of an external .and
material character, like some visible halo encom-
passing His glorified humanity. Such, however,

192 NATURE OF CHRIST S GLORY.

is a most contracted view, and one exceedingly
dishonouring to Christ himself. "We do not, in-
deed, deny that there may be much external
grandeur associated with His Mediatorial person,
and that His glorified body may be distinguished
by a radiance surpassing the brightness of the
firmament, or of the sun, even when he shineth
in all the fulness of his splendour. We find,
however, that the Scriptures uniformly represent
Messiah's chief glory as of a moral and spiritual
character — as that, in fact, which He gathered
from the cross — and for which He prayed when,
in prospect of His sufferings, He said, "Father,
the hour is come ; glorify thy Son, that thy Son
also may glorify thee." Thus, therefore, when
the Just made perfect wish to contemplate the
true Mediatorial glory of their Head, they will
look for it, not in any external brightness which
may encircle Him, as He sits enthroned amid the
heavenly worshippers, but will rather discern it in
those spiritual trophies which, won by the groans
of Gethsemane and the pains of Calvary, have at

HOW CHRIST IS GLORIFIED. 193

length been transferred to the Upper Sanctuary,
that there they may witness for ever to the great-
ness of that spiritual victory Messiah achieved
when, on the cross, " having spoiled principalities
and powers, He made a show of them openly,
triumphing over them in it," (Col. ii. 15.)

Hence, in 2 Thess. i. 10, we are informed that,
when Jesus will come again, " He shall come to
be glorified in His Saints, and to be admired in
all them that believe." "We request the reader's
particular attention for a moment to the exact
meaning of these words. It is not said here, as
some rashly suppose, that, when the Lord Jesus
will come again, His Saints will admire Him, or
ascribe glory to Him. All this may be true, but
it is not the particular truth here declared; for
what is here said is, that Christ will then be
"glorified in them" and "admired in them.' 9
What, then, are we exactly to understand by
these expressions ? We shall endeavour to illus-
trate them.

Should the reader go into St Paul's Cathedral

N

194 TRUE GLOEY OF WREN.

in London, he will find amongst the statuary of
that gorgeous edifice a plain tablet, with a Latin
inscription, informing him that Sir Christopher
"Wren was the architect of the building, and tell-
ing the visitor, if he desires to see Wren's monu-
ment, to "look around;" thus declaring that the
magnificent Temple encompassing him is the
architect's best memorial — his truest monument —
in which his glory may be seen, and IN which his
surpassing genius may be best admired and dis-
cerned. So also in the Eoyal Palace at Windsor
there is a certain apartment whose walls are covered
solely with the paintings of the celebrated Van-
dyke, in consequence of which the room itself is
called the Vandyke room. Now, as the visitor
surveys, with indescribable admiration, the won-
drous productions of this immortal artist, and as
IN them he traces the unmistakable proofs of their
author's unrivalled skill, he sees how, in them,
Vandyke is glorified and admired, and that, too, in
a way which he never could have been, by merely
looking at his face or external appearance.

THE HEAVENLY MIRRORS. 195

Now, just as in St Paul's we may behold the
glory of Wren, and in his paintings we may best
appreciate and admire the genius of Vandyke, so
IN His Saints a surrounding and beholding uni-
verse will at length best behold and admire the
glory of Christ. In them angels will at last be-
hold the grandest exhibition of Messiah's char-
acter. And as seraphim and cherubim survey
His ransomed hosts, they will discern in each and
all such varied and abundant traces of His un-
utterable glory, and of the exceeding riches of
His grace, as to cause them to express their ad-
miration in new and higher strains of rejoicing,
thanksgiving, and praise.

In order, then, fully to behold the glory of
Christ in Heaven, it will be necessary to exa-
mine each object in which that glory is displayed;
and as no two works of God are in all respects
alike, so IN each of His redeemed ones peculiar
traces of His perfections may be seen. In study-
ing His Saints, then, we shall be studying His
character, and in admiring them we shall be really

196 THE TWO LOVES COMPATIBLE.

beholding His glory ; for each one will be a tran-
script of the Kedeemer's perfections — a living
mirror of His character, a spiritual reflector of His
praise — in which the Master may Himself be
studied, admired, and glorified.

The above remarks lead us naturally to observe,
that the cherishing of a paramount love and admi-
ration for Christ in Heaven, will in no way inter-
fere with our possessing at the same time a strong
affection for His people.

To be persuaded of this we have only to recollect
that the Son loves the Father with a love far sur-
passing that of which any mere creature is cap-
able, and yet the Kedeemer's love to His Father
is not at all incompatible with His love to His
Saints. "As the Father hath loved me, so have I
loved you," saith Jesus to His disciples ; and He
adds, " Continue ye in my love." And yet this
continuance in His love was by no means incon-
sistent with their loving each other, for He says,
" A new commandment give I unto you, that ye
love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also

THE " NEW COMMANDMENT " IN HEAVEN. 197

love one another." Nay, this was to be the test of
discipleship, for He tells them, " By this shall all
men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love
one to another' 9 (John xiii. 34, 35.) So far also
from there being any incongruity between their
love to God and their love to one another, the
apostle John (1 John iv. 12) declares, " If we
love one anothek, God dwelleth in us, and His
LOVE is perfected in us."

From all these passages it is perfectly plain that
"brotherly love," or "love of the brethren" of
Christ, as well as of Christ himself, will continue
for ever. So that whilst in Heaven we shall love
the Lord supremely, we shall also "love one
another with pure hearts fervently;" for there as
here it will be found that the " New Command-
ment" is still in force, and there, more deeply
than here, will it be for ever felt that " love is
the fulfilling of the law."

198 FOUETH OBJECTION.

CHAPTER IV.

OBJECTION FOURTH. — THE SIGHT OF THE LOST
WOULD CAUSE US PAIN IN HEAVEN.

The last objection to mutual recognition here-
after which we deem it necessary to notice, is
founded on the supposition that the sight of the
lost in Hell must necessarily be painful, even to
celestial minds, and that our being able to re-
cognise all our friends who are in Heaven will,
consequently, lead to the knowledge of such of
them as have failed to gain admittance there.

In reply to the above objection, we observe that
the rejection of future recognition will land us in
far greater difficulties than this or any other ^con-
nected with its reception ; for if there is to be no
recognition hereafter, it will be impossible for us

CHRIST THE MOST SENSITIVE. 199

to . see whether any of our friends are saved) and
so, on the principle of our opponents, we may be
kept for ever in a state of continual uncertainty
and anxiety with regard to the eternal condition
of those we love, and, therefore, the difficulty in
question gives rise to a far more serious one. Let
us, however, consider it for a little.

"We observe, then, that the Scriptures do not
leave us in doubt in reference to this matter, foi
its disclosures prove that the positive knowledge
of those who are in ruin causes no pain whatevei
to the inhabitants of Heaven. The Saviour, it
will be universally acknowledged, has certainly as
much — yea, far more — tenderness of feeling than
the most sensitive of His people. Thus we find
Him, in the days of His earthly ministry, weeping
over the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and lamenting
their approaching ruin ; yet Jesus is now perfectly
aware how many of these Jerusalem sinners
perished in their transgressions. Indeed, He and
the angels will for ever see all who will finally be
lost, for we are expressly informed that all such

200 TORMENT IN PRESENCE OF THE LAMB. .

are destined to be " tormented with fire and brim-
stone IN the presence of the holy angels and IN
the presence of the Lamb," (Eev. xiv. 10.) This
knowledge, however, does not at all interfere with
the perfect felicity of the Blessed Redeemer and
His angelic hosts ; and if it does not lessen the
enjoyment of the Head, we may rest satisfied it
will not in the slightest degree affect the happiness
of the members of the heavenly household

" The holy angels," too, we have every reason
to believe, once knew and most tenderly loved
those now fallen spirits " who kept not their
first estate," before these latter had "left their
own habitation." All such affection for them
has, however, long since perished, and the know-
ledge of the present sufferings of their former
associates does not in any degree diminish the
happiness or mar the joy of those elder spirits of
eternity who, in time of trial, preserved their in-
tegrity, and have, because thereof, been for ever
confirmed in holiness, and in love and loyalty to
God.

*

PUNISHMENT A CAUSE OF PRAISE. 201

So also will it be with "the redeemed from
amongst men." From Isaiah lxvi 24, it would
appear that they too, like their Divine Master
and His holy angels, will "look upon" the
wicked in their final doom. Yet the sight of
the lost in the regions of perdition will occasion
no painful feelings in the bosoms of the Saints,
nor lessen for a moment their celestial bliss. '
Indeed we find (see Eev. xvi. 5-7; xviii 20;
and xix. 1-3) that the punishment of the wicked,
so far from causing pain, becomes a matter of
praise in Heaven, and that when God avenges
His servants, His doing so occasions both thanks-
giving and rejoicing in the Jerusalem above.

Though the righteous are now frequently
associated with the ungodly in the varied rela-
tionships and sympathies of a common humanity,
yet all such connexions are in their own nature
temporary, and unless sanctified, cemented, and
rendered perpetual by grace, they will all ter-
minate with this present life. The Saints in
gloiy, too, will be so entirely conformed to God

202 EARTH TEES PERISH.

in ull their views, affections, and desires, as to
experience no unhappiness whatever from the
absence of any with whom they may have been
formerly connected in this world. We therefore
fully sympathise in the sentiments of the follow-
ing lines : —

" Fear not the prospect of the place of woe,
It wiU not mar thy bliss, nor thence shall thoughts arise
To blunt thy sense of heavenly ecstasies ;
For in that prison-house of torment
There is none but is of God the foe, —
An alien thus from thee. The ties of blood,
And earth's most sacred bonds, are but a twine
Of gossamer, compared with that which binds
To Christ and all who are in Him. M

Yes, the Saints are, indeed, joined together
in a far closer than any earthly union; and, there-
fore, whilst we often see those who are connected
by the closest natural ties manifesting but a very
slender regard for each other, the children of
God, who realize their eternal union to one
another in Jesus Christ, cherish for each other
a love stronger than death, and exhibit such
a mutual confidence and sympathy as they could

THE WICKED A NUISANCE. 203

not possibly manifest towards those who are
related to them only in the flesh. It often hap-
pens, even in this world, that the righteous are
obliged to break off all intercourse with their
ungodly friends. Grieved and disgusted with
their sins, they can have no fellowship with these
children of the Wicked One* Their very pre-

» Though we believe the considerations submitted in the
text sufficient to neutralise, if not entirely remove, the objec-
tion on which they have been brought to bear, yet we think it
right to submit the following extracts from Dr Whately's wprk
already quoted, in which it will be seen that the ingenious
archbishop propodes to obviate the difficulty we have been
considering, by supposing that the saints in heaven will have
the power of entirely withdrawing their thoughts at pleasure
from all subjects of a distasteful or painful nature. This
distinguished author says, — "As for the grief which a man
may be supposed to feel for the loss — the total and final loss —
of some who may have been dear to him on earth, I have only
this to remark, that a wise and good man in this life, in cases
where it is clear that no good can be done by him, strives, as
far as possible, to withdraw his thoughts from evil which he
cannot lessen, but which still, in spite of his efforts, will often
cloud his mind. We cannot at pleasure draw off our thoughts
entirely from painful subjects which it is in vain to think of.
The power to do this completely, when we will, would be a
great increase of happiness; and this power, therefore, it is
reasonable to suppose, the blest will possess in the world to

204 THE WICKED A NUISANCE.

sence becomes an intolerable nuisance; and as
they are brought to long for deliverance from
their society on earth, so they will feel no want
of, and no desire for, their company in heaven.

come, and will be able, by an effort of the will, completely to
banish and exclude every idea that might alloy their happiness."
—"Scripture Revelations," &c. pp 282, 283

PAET III.

THE PRACTICAL INFLUENCES OF MUTUAL
RECOGNITION AFTER DEATH.

I

8.

s

OUR FRIENDS IN HEAYEN.

INTRODUCTION.

We come now, in this concluding part of our
work, to consider the practical tendencies and
effects of the doctrine we have been discussing.
We trust we have already proved to the full
satisfaction of our readers that it is a part of the
revealed truth of God. If, then, it can be still
further shewn to be "a doctrine according to
godliness/' and one eminently calculated to exert
an exceedingly salutary influence upon the hearts
and lives of those who "receive it in faith and
love," such a result will not only strengthen the
believer's conviction of its truth, but stimulate

208 ERROR AND TRUTH.

him to the discharge of all those important duties
which it is so well calculated to enforce.

The tendency of error is only evil, and that
continually. Truth, on the contrary — no matter
of what kind — is always good; good in itself,
and good in its effects. Like the tree of life it
produces only wholesome fruit ; and so with this
truth in particular. We shall find that its fruits
are all sweet, salutary, and soothing. There is
nothing of disappointment — of the wormwood or
the gall in its productions — but all are eminently
calculated to quicken and comfort — to benefit
and save. And that this may be palpable to all
our readers, we direct their attention to the fol-
lowing chapters.

CONSOLATION FROM RECOGNITION. 209

CHAPTEE I.

RECOGNITION IN HEAVEN A SOURCE OF COMFORT.

"Not lost, but gone before" has often been the
primary and almost involuntary exclamation of
the afflicted Christian when first recovering from
the bewilderment and shock which death caused,
when it rudely and ruthlessly snatched from him
" the desire of his eyes/' the child of his affections,
the guide of his youth, or the friend of his con-
fidence and love. Yes, instead of being driven to
despair by the thought of an everlasting separa-
tion, (which death would practically cause if there
were to be no future recognition,) the believer is
enabled to contemplate the body's dissolution as
effecting, in the case of the pious, but a tempo-
rary loss of companionship — as but interrupting

210 PARTING FOB A TIME.

for a little an intimacy which is destined to be
renewed and perpetuated for ever — as only the
suspension of a fellowship which will, probably,
just because of such suspension, be eventually all
the closer in that brighter world, where sorrow is
unknown and separation can never come.

In this present life it frequently happens that
those most attached agree for a time to part, when
such separation is calculated to promote the tem-
poral interests of the parties concerned. How
often, for instance, do we see parents willing to
surrender the most promising of their children,
and even assisting them to go to some far distant
land, in the mere hope that there, perhaps, they
may amass such wealth as will enable them to
assume and maintain an honourable position in
society, or return, perchance, after many years
of vigorous exertion, to bless and comfort their
parents in the evening of life. This expectation
of ultimate reunion upon earth, often fondly
cherished, has frequently been sadly blighted, and
the home and hearts of parents, instead of being

BLIGHTED HOPES. 211

gladdened by the return of these children of their
hopes, have often been filled with sorrow by the
tidings of their misfortunes or of their death. But
no such disappointment awaits the believer who
expects to meet his sainted relatives in "the
better land." His is a hope which " maketh not
ashamed/' and one which will eventually be rea-
lised in the "joy unspeakable and full of glory;"
for this blessed truth of recognition assures him
that he will yet be restored to the embraces of
their affection — that he will yet join them in their
songs of heavenly thanksgiving, and that, toge-
ther, they will yet bask for ever in the sunshine
of the Almighty's love.

Such a hope, too, may also convey a lesson of
recognition and submission, as well as of comfort,
to the afflicted Saint. If he have a well-grounded
assurance that his beloved ones who are gone, are
gone to be with Christ, then "it is far better"
with them now than ever it could have been on
earth. They, unlike the earthly emigrant, have
run no hazard, and are exposed to no future risk.

212 GONE HOM&

They are now safe within the veil; delivered from
all sin and suffering, they know no want. Their
happiness and honour are secure. Instead of hav-
ing gone from home, they are gone to home. They
now find that they have far more and better
friends in Heaven than ever they possessed here.
The major part of the family has already entered
the paternal mansions, and those that still remain
will, in a few short years, be also there.

Oh, then, ye bereaved ones, why do you still
mourn ? Will you continue to weep as you think
of the glory of your departed Saints ? Do you
envy them their fellowship with Christ and their
communion with His ransomed hosts ? You would
not, if you could, bring them back to earth. To
gratify your selfishness you would not wish them
to descend from their thrones of peerless dignity,
and subject them to their former ills. You would
not ask them to exchange their heavenly coronets
for earthly cares, nor desire them to throw away
their palms of victory even to engage in the con-
flicts of the faith? You surely do not grudge

CONDITION IN GLORY. 213

them their everlasting kingdom and imperishable
renown? They are now kings and priests unto
the Father, and associated with those princes of
creation who are nearest to the throne and heart
of God; and you would not, though you could,
involve them in their former privations, and suf-
ferings, and sins ? Oh no 1 They have now got
Home; and be content to leave them in their
Father's house, with its many mansions, its happy
inmates, and unending joys ; for you too will ere
long be permitted to join them, and with them be
for ever safely " housed in Heaven."

Yes, a few more sorrows and a few more sighs,
and joy unspeakable will be yours. A few more
broken bonds and blighted hopes, and your hea-
venly expectations will all be realised ; yea, your
most sanguine anticipations will be far surpassed.
A few more cold looks and harsher words from
worldly men, and you will for ever enjoy the un-
failing sympathies and unbroken society of your
friends in Heaven. Oh, then, faint not, fear not,
for all will yet be well! Jesus himself is now

214 . PRESENT TEIALS.

with you, and will never leave you till He takes
you to the promised country, and confers on you
the unfading glory. True, your way on earth may
now be dark, and your prospects dimmer still;
but the mists will soon be scattered, and the
brightness of Heaven dawn. Oh, then, proceed
rejoicing, and dread no ill! There is no fear of
disappointment in your case, as there is with
regard to the emigrant's return; for the anchor of
your hope is already cast within the veil, the eye
of your faith is even now fastened upon Jesus;
and, as the clouds of unbelief do gradually dis-
perse, you catch glimpses of the better country,
and, as it were, descry the battlements of the
heavenly city. Though, for a time, you may be
beaten by the storms and tossed upon the billows
of life's troubled ocean, yet, guided by the Star
of Bethlehem, or gladdened by the Sun of Eight-
eousness himself, you will survive them all, until,
at length, entering in triumph the desired haven,
you will be restored to your beloved ones who

THE HAVEN ENTERED; 215

are there before you, and along with them parti-
cipate for ever in the full fruition of the Triune
God.

" A few short years of evil past,
We '11 reach the happy shore,
Where death-divided friends at last
Shall meet) to part no mor*"

216 OUR FRIENDS IN HELL.

CHAPTER II.

OUR FRIENDS IN HELL.

Our Friends in Hell! What an awful thought!
yet one not more terrible than true; for who of us
can say that all our relatives have been Saints,
and that we have had no friends but such as were
also the friends of Christ.

Our Friends in Hell, and mutual recognition
there ! The very idea of such a condition is posi-
tively agonising; for our minds revolt — we shudder
at the possibility of those we love, rolling and
writhing perpetually in that lake of burning agony,
where all the unconverted must for ever be ! But
though an indescribably painful subject, it may,
notwithstanding, be one most profitable to con-
sider; for, whilst we may have many friends in

PREACHING OF THE GREAT MURDERER. 217

Heaven, yet it is possible we may not only have
some in Hell, but some also who are going thero
— yea, who at present are only fit to be there. I*
is for the sake, then, not of the dead, but of the
living, that we would direct attention for a little
to this dreadful theme— and in doing so we shall
only be following the example of Christ himself.

It is a remarkable circumstance, that of all
"the teachers sent from God," none were wont
to dwell so much on the torments of the lost, as
the meek and merciful Eedeemer. Instead of
prophesying " smooth things" and saying, like the
Great Murderer of our race, " Ye shall not surely
die," the tender-hearted Jesus talks most of " the
worm that never dies" and of " the fire that never
shall be quenched." So far from countenancing
a sickly sentimentalism, or approving of any
morbid delicacy on a subject so momentous and
awful, He who yearned most for the sinner's salva-
tion, is remarkable for using what some would
style the harshest language in the whole Bible.

Inexpressibly gentle as He was, Messiah on

218 CHRIST TALKED MUCH OF HELL.

befitting occasions did not shrink from interro-
gating His hearers thus : " Ye serpents, ye gene-
ration of vipers, how can ye escape tlie damnation
of Hell t" (Matt, xxiii 33.) And why did " the
Meek and Lowly One" so act? Just from purest
love to the souls of men. He well knew that no
description, however awful, oould equal the terrible
reality ; but so far as language was sufficient, He
employed it to depict the horrors of condemnation,
in order to induce men to make sure of His great
salvation, before life was ended and their eternity
was begun.

Yes, He who in earlier times had prompted His
inspired servant to ask, " Who among us shall
dwell with the devouring fire? Who among us
shall dwell with everlasting burnings t" (Isa. xxxiii.
14,) did in the days of His earthly ministry expa-
tiate on the agonies of the ruined soul, that thus,
if possible, He might rouse men from their spiritual
torpor, and save them from that "fiery indig-
nation'* which "shall devour* 9 the impenitent in
the world to come.

FOLLOWING CHBIST'S EXAMPLE. 219

Let us, then, imitate the example of our Great
Teacher, for the whole truth in this matter is the
truest mercy, and though we cannot now rescue
those of our friends already in the regions of
perdition, let us try to save all who yet survive
from going there.

Eeader, we suppose you to be a Christian —
that is, a Christ-like person — one who has been
made a partaker of the Spirit and grace of the
Lord Jesus. If so, like your Divine Master, you
are going about " doing good " — you are, in fact,
Christ's witness and Christ's advocate in the
world. Are you such, however, in the family ?

We have known many disciples of Jesus more
willing to speak of Him and work for Him abroad
than at home — more ready to recommend Him to
strangers than to relatives and Mends. A false
delicacy and insurmountable shame have made
them "speechless" in the domestic circle or in
the private room. Devoted follower of the
Saviour, it should not, it must not, be so with
you. Are you prepared to allow the objects of

220 A FIBESIDE MISSIONARY.

your tenderest affection to go down to ruin, un-
heeded, unwarned, unprayed for? Eecollect, if
they are to be with you in heaven, they must be
united to you in Christ on earth, else prepare for
an everlasting separation. Are you, then, willing
to surrender them to Satan without an effort and
without a prayer? Oh, how painful, on hearing
that some godless friend has died, to be forced
by conscience to reflect or say — " We lived long
together, and yet I never spoke a word to him
of Christ and His redemption; I never pointed
him to heaven, or warned him to flee from hell."

Eecipient of the great salvation, arouse your-
self from your spiritual torpor, and henceforth
become a Fireside missionary of the Cross. Are
you united to some beloved one in the closest
bonds of earthly union? Oh, then, be not
ashamed to press upon the partner of your joys
and sorrows the glorious gospel, and rest not
till you both become " heirs together of the grace
of life." Are you a parent? Like the great
apostle " travail in birth " for your " little

SATE YOUK FRIEXDS. 221

children," until Christ he formed in them the
hope of gloiy. Are you a hrother or a sister?
Wrestle for the redemption of those who have
lain in the same womb, and shared with you
the same parental guardianship and love; and
cease not till you all have become partakers of
the same grace, and children of the same God?
Are you a servant in the family ? See that you
recommend your heavenly Master to all the house-
hold by your fidelity, obedience, humility, and
love, and thus you will be " a living epistle " oi
the Saviour, in which His character may be read
and His religion admired by all around.

Believer in Jesus Christ, we implore you to do
as we have said; for, from the Scripture disclo-
sures regarding Dives, the Kings of Babylon, of
Egypt, and Assyria, and their ruined associates,
brought before us in the first part of this treatise*
we have learned that there will be Eecognition
in Hell as well as in Heaven. Whilst, then,
the doctrine of future recognition is full of blessed
consolation to the afflicted believer, it is sur-

222 A DARE SIDE.

charged with the most solemn warnings and
awful forebodings to the unconverted sinner.

Like the mysterious cloud which led the
Israelites though the wilderness, it has a dark
as well as a bright side. And if the heavenly-
recognition be associated with joy unutterable,
mutual recognition amongst the lost will be ac-
companied with shame, and horror, and despair.
Not only will Memory, with increased and un-
dying energy, resume its functions, and con-
science, awakened from its slumbers, arise with
giant power to lash its victims and avenge its
God, but, next to the outpoured vials of the
Almighty's wrath, the horrid companionship of
Pandemonium will form the most terrible element
of suffering in that place of wretchedness where
the Christless shall for ever dwell

We know that many a child of adversity can
be comparatively happy so long as he is able to
hide his misfortunes from others. But nothing
is so intolerable as the thought of being discovered
by those who may have known him in the days

NOT UNKNOWN IN HELL. 223

of his prosperity and honour. And so will it be
with the lost. To dwell unknown in hell, would,
if possible, be deemed a privilege; but the in-
flexible requirements of a righteous jurisprudence
forbid it. It cannot and shall not be. The
wicked must meet and recognise one another as
the authors or victims of their earthly ungodliness,
and confront each other as former associates in
crime. Jesus, our Judge, accordingly declares
that the ungodly will not be cast singly or alone
"into the furnace of fire;" for, in Matthew xiii.
30, 49, 50, He assures us that " at the end of the
world/' He will command His angel-reapers to
"bind them IN bundles to barn them." "In
bv/ndle$," therefore, or in the society of one another,
will they be hurled into the world of horrors.

Yes, the seducer and his victim, the prompter
and the perpetrator of iniquity, will both be there,
that, by their mutual recriminations, they may
be the everlasting tormentors of one another in
the realms of woe. The tyrant, too, who, in this
life, has trampled on the rights and liberties of

224 PREPARING TORMENTORS.

his fellows, must be prepared to encounter their
execrations and reproaches in the place of torment.
The plunderer of nations and murderer of " many
peoples " who, in order to gratify his ambition and
aggrandise himself, has traded in human butchery
and rioted on the miseries of mankind, regardless
alike of the woes or wellbeing of a world, will
eventually find that, by doing so, he has just been
preparing for himself millions of accusers and
tormentors against the wrath to come.

So, also, the proud voluptuary or haughty
lordling will "gnash his teeth" and "gnaw his
tongue" with pain, when, in utter astonishment,
he finds himself thrust down amongst the vilest
characters of hell; whilst his surprise and agony
will be mightily increased when, from his prison-
house of torment, he beholds "afar off" in glory,
many like Lazarus, whom, in the days of his flesh,
he despised, trampled on, and spurned as his
most contemptible vassals and slaves, but who,
in reality, were rich in faith and heirs of the
heavenly kingdom. The men of deceit, also,

FEAEFUL UPBBAIDINGS. 225

whether they veiled their hypocrisy under the
garb of worldly prudence or religious profession,
will find that their duplicity was supreme folly,
and that by their frauds, whether of a secular or
sacred character, they were just cheating them-
selves out of their own salvation, and preparing
scorpions to torment them throughout the eternity
to come.

Husbands and wives, parents and children,
will then be found upbraiding one another with
being the authors of each other's ruin. They will
then not only regret, but complain, that religion
was unknown, or even positively ridiculed and
denounced, in the domestic circle. The want of
a religious education and example, if not the
positive inculcation of error, and practice of
iniquity, will then be felt to be evils without
a remedy, and give rise to reproaches without
end. Thus the passions of the lost let loose will
riot unrestrained in every heart, and, burning
with a fury hotter than the " fire unquenchable,"
will, with terrible recriminations, overwhelm the

226 DREAD OF MEETING FRIENDS IN HELL.

wretched inhabitants of Hell; whilst they accuse
and torment one another as the authors of their
present sufferings and former sins.

The dread of such fearful upbraidings appears
to have prompted the request of the rich man,
when he said to Abraham, " Send Lazarus to my
father's house, for I have five brethren, that he
may testify to them lest they also come into this
place of torment. ,, Now, we have no reason to
believe that it was any feeling of compassion or
desire for the salvation of his brethren that
prompted such a prayer. Such feelings of bene-
volence dwell not in the bosoms of the lost. Love
reigns in Heaven, but has no dwelling-place in
HelL The real motive which seems to have
actuated Dives was a feeling of dread. He
appears to have shrunk from the very thought
of meeting his brethren with the greatest horror.
By his riches he may have corrupted, or by his
example and influence encouraged them to sin,
and, therefore, he knew that they might justly
charge him with their ruin, and thus, by their

A CHRISTIAN, WHAT ? 227

endless reproaches, increase at least his mental
agony, if not aggravate also his bodily pain.

Eeader, would you be saved from such a fearful
fellowship as that described? Make sure, then,
of your union to Jesus Christ. Out of Him you
will be lost; in Him you are safe for ever. In
a previous part of this chapter we addressed you
as a believer, and urged you to be busy for the
salvation of your friends. Perhaps, however, in
taking your Christianity for granted, we assumed
too much. Oh, it is no small matter to be a
Christian! A Christian is a Divine creation.
He is God's own workmanship, created in Christ
Jesus unto good works, (Eph. ii. 10.) Omnipo-
tence alone can form a Saint.

Give, then, all " diligence" to make your calling
and election sure. Eemember who hath said,
" Ye must be born again," (John iii. 7,) and
" Without ME ye can do nothing" (John xv. 5.)
Oh, then, cast yourself upon the Saviour ! Believe
and live. Best not till you know that you " have
passed from death unto life," and become " A new

228 NO HOLINESS, NO HEAVEN.

creature " in Jesus Christ, (see 1 John iii. 14, and
2 Cor. v. 17;) for unless you "be converted," and
become docile, humble, and gentle as a little child,
you will never enter into the kingdom of Heaven,
(Matt, xviii. 3.) Except you repent you will perish,
(Luke xift. 3.) Without holiness no man shall see
the Lord, (Heb. xii. 14) <c If any man have not
the Spirit of Christ he is none of his," (Kom.
viii. 9.) These are weighty words — amongst the
weightiest ever uttered by the Holy Ghost
Eeader, ponder them, pray over them, until you
become a personal recipient of that holiness and
spirit they require ; for be assured that, in a very
short time, it will be your unchanging portion
either to join in the hosannas of the ransomed,
or to mingle in the howlings of the damned.

SELECTION OF FRIENDS. 229

CHAPTEE III

HEAVENLY RECOGNITION IN REFERENCE TO THE
SELECTION OF FRIENDS AND THE FORMATION OF
THE NUPTIAL UNION.

The subject of which we have been treating should
deeply impress us with the importance of forming
and cultivating only Christian friendships. Man,
as already remarked, is constitutionally a social
being, and he cannot dwell alone. He must have
companions. Both his happiness and his char-
acter, however, depend much on his associates.
We are creatures of imitation, and we almost
instinctively and unconsciously imbibe the views
and feelings of our friends. It is, then, essential
to our spiritual and eternal well-being that the
intimacies of friendship should be contracted only .

230 UNGODLY COMPANY.

with the Saints, who are "the excellent of the
earth." " Keep not company with the wicked"
(Prov. xxiii. 19, marg. reading) is the dictate of
prudence as well as of piety; and he who would
escape the contaminations of evil company will,
with David, say, " Gather not my soul with
sinners," (Ps. xxvi. 9,) for he is convinced that
"the companion of fools shall be destroyed,"
(Prov. xiii. 20,) and knows that " Blessed is the
.man that walketh not in the counsel of the
ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor
sitteth in the seat of the scornful," (Ps. i 1.)

The child of God can have no true fellowship
with the children of this world, and he so lives
as to be enabled to say, u I am a companion of
all them that fear thee, and of them that keep
thy precepts," (Ps. cxix. 63.) If, then, we desire
that the companionships of time should be per-
petuated throughout eternity, we will enter into
bonds of friendship only with those who are the
children of the covenant and heirs of the king-
dom of God. If we, in reality, feel that we are

SAINTLY ASSOCIATES. 231

"strapgers and pilgrims " upon earth, we shall
choose as our fellow-travellers through life those
who are " asking the way to Zion with their faces
thitherward;" so that, as we proceed on our
journey, we may refresh and encourage one an-
other by talking of the grace that sustains, and of
the hope which cheers us — of the House of our
Father, and our friends who are there before us —
and of the heavenly welcome and the weight of
glory prepared for us when our own pilgrimage
is ended and our eternity has begun.

It was under the deep conviction of the im-
portance of such a course of conduct, that the
sainted Baxter wrote, — " Happy the man that
hath heavenly associates, if he hath but a heart
to know his happiness. This is he that will be
blowing at the spark of thy spiritual life, and
always driving thy soul to God. If thou come
to this man's house, and sit at his table, he will
feast thy soul with the dainties of Heaven. If
thou travel with this man on the way, he will
be directing and quickening thee on thy journey

232 EXTRACTS FROM BAXTER.

to Heaven. If thou be buying or selling, or trad-'
ing with hha in the world, he will be counselling
thee to lay out for the inestimable treasure. If
thou wrong him he can pardon thee. If thou be
angry he is meek, considering the meekness of
his Heavenly Pattern; or if he %11 out with thee,*
he is soon reconciled when he remembereth that
in Heaven you must be everlasting friends."

This heavenly-minded author elsewhere also
declares, — " I must confess, as the experience of
my own soul,. that the expectation of loving my
friends in Heaven principally kindles my love to
them on earth. If I thought I should never know
them, and consequently never love them, after
this life is ended, I should in reason number them
with temporal things, and love them as such, at
the same time allowing for the excellent nature
of grace; but I now , delightfully converse with
my pious friends in a firm persuasion that I shall
converse with them for ever; and I take comfort
in those of them who are dead or absent, as
believing I shall shortly meet them in Heaven;

SEPAEATION FROM THB WORLD. 233

and I love them with a heavenly love, as the
heirs of Heaven, even with a love which shall
there be perfected and for ever exercised."

This expectation of perpetuated friendship in
Heaven should, then, exert an important influence
on the formation of all our connexions on earth,
and should prevent us holding any close or unne-
cessary intercourse with the children of this world.
The Bible uniformly teaches the members of the
Divine family to look upon themselves as "a
peculiar people," who have views, sympathies, and
prospects essentially their own, and who are espe-
cially to guard against forming any relationship
which might subject them to such influence as
would injure their Christian character, mar their
usefulness, or retard their growth in grace.

On this subject the inspired oracles utter no
equivocal command; for with more than the autho-
rity of an Imperial edict they proclaim to all the
subjects of the Heavenly King — "Be ye not

UNEQUALLY YOKED TOGETHER WITH UNBELIEVERS;

for what fellowship hath righteousness with un-

234 THE NUPTIAL UNION.

righteousness? and what communion hath light
with darkness? and what concord hath Christ
with Belial ? or what part hath he that believeth
with an infidel? and what agreement hath the
temple of God with idols ? for ye are the temple

i

of the living God. Wherefore, come out from

AMONG THEM, AND BE YE SEPARATE, SAITH THE

Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I
will receive you, and will be a Father unto you,
and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the
Lord Almighty," (2 Cor. vi 14^18.)

The above mandate applies with peculiar force
to those who are contemplating the formation of
the closest of all earthly alliances —

The Nuptial Union.

It is a melancholy fact that multitudes appear
to treat, either with levity or utter disregard, the
most peremptory injunctions of Jehovah upon
this subject. The command of God to His people
is, that they marry " only in the Lord," (1 Cor.
vii 39.) The Almighty has been pleased to select

INCONSISTENCIES. 235

marriage as the consecrated emblem of that vital
and mystical union which exists between the
Saviour and His Saints; and He desires that the
ordinance should be adorned and sanctified by
the graces of those who enter it, and whom it
is especially designed to bless. Yet this closest
connexion in life is often rushed into with a
recklessness which, but for its frequency, would
be astonishing, and which must ever be most
humiliating to every truly devoted mind. The
violence of passion, the caprice of fancy, false
ideas of worldly respectability, or the most sordid
and grovelling considerations, have been allowed
to stifle the voice of conscience, overbear the con-
victions of duty, and trample upon the command
of God.

We are quite aware that many try to gloss over
such glaring inconsistency of conduct, under the
hypocritical pretence or dangerous delusion of
becoming the instruments of savingly converting
the objects of their regard. Such, however, must
surely have forgotten that conversion is the work

236 EVILS OF TEMPORISING.

of God, and that He effects it only by legitimate
means. For the accomplishment of such an object,
then, we are not to act upon the Jesuitical
principle of "doing evil that good may come."
Jehovah, in the production of the great change
referred to, acknowledges only such efforts as are
based on scriptural principles, and are made in
conformity with. His Word. . He will, conse-
quently, bless no compromise, nor sanctify any
proceeding in violation of His law.

Accordingly, we find that it is a well-established
fact, that all such unhallowed "yokings" have
ended in miserable disappointment Instead of
the worldling being converted, the heretical evan-
gelised, or the profligate reclaimed, the Chris-
tianity of the other party has fearfully suffered,
even where it has not entirely disappeared. A
short time is, in general, sufficient to prove that
those sanguine compromisers of truth and duty,
so far from converting others, have brought their
own spiritual well-being into serious jeopardy.
Worldly prudence has supplanted Christian zeaL

UNGODLY UNIONS. 237

Former professions and determinations are for-
gotten. Prayer, if observed at all, has become
the merest formality, and duty is felt to be a
burthen. In a word, those who were once the
objects of high Christian hope have given rise
to saintly lamentation; for they have not only
tampered with principle and compromised truth,
but have become cold, and calculating, and cun-
ning. Instead of following the Lord " fully/' and
living by faith, they are now the victims of an
all-pervading earthliness, and walk by sight. The
breath of worldliness from the very bosom of the
domestic circle has completely blighted the graces
formerly budding in the soul, and the deadliest
enemy of individual and family piety is, too late,
discovered to be the very one who sits at the
hearth and presides over the household.

But the evil does not end even here. Such
ungodly unions not only prevent the growth of
personal religion, but they render it almost impos-
sible to " train up " children " in the nurture and
admonition of the Lord." They also bring reli-

238 INJUBIOUS EFFECTS OF UNGODLY UNIONS.

gious families into dangerous alliance with those
of an opposite description, and thus subject whole
connexions to the most injurious influences. With
regard to all such, God says to His people, " Come
out from among them, and be ye separate." But
a religious professor, by one false step in the
matter we are considering, gives a fearful emphasis
to the truth that " One sinner destroyeth much
good," (Eccles. ix. 18.) He does an immensity of
harm by commingling, so far as he can, the right-
eous and the wicked, and by effacing those lines
of demarcation which should exist betwixt the
Church and the world. Besides, he is preparing
for himself a cup of fearful bitterness, of which,
even in this world, if he be one of the children
of the family, his Heavenly Father, in very faith-
fulness and mercy, will cause him eventually to
drink.

Yes, all such inconsistent disciples, as in this
matter they have " sown to the flesh," so also
" of the flesh" will they " reap corruption." Even
the worldly advantages expected from such unions

EVERLASTING SEPARATION. 239

have rarely been realised. The prospects of the
parties, in other respects, have been blighted,
their prayers hindered, and their peace destroyed.
But the most painful consideration connected with
it is, that such a union must end in an everlasting
separation. . The parties were never joined toge-
ther by the Spirit and grace of Christ; they cannot,
and shall not, therefore, be heirs together of His
glory in the world to come.

The frequency with which this subject is referred
to in the Bible proves its importance. There we
learn that it was because the sons of God inter-
married with the daughters of men that a deluge
of wrath was sent which swept them all away.
The Jewish people— the appointed representatives
of the true Israel throughout all generations —
were not only expressly forbidden to intermarry
with any of the idolatrous nations, but when, on
one occasion, they had violated the Divine injunc-
tion, they were compelled to put away their idol-
atrous wives with their children, that the Church
of God, by such forbidden alliances, might not

240 EXTREMES.

be defiled, (see Ezra x. 3-17, and Nehemiah xiiL
23-30.) Now, the word of the Lord continueth
the same for all generations, and what was bind-
ing on the Jews in this respect is no less obliga-
tory on us Gentiles.

. We are not, indeed, to be understood as despis-
ing the dictates of prudence in this matter. We
are quite willing to admit that other considera-
tions besides those of Christian character must be
taken into account in the formation of a union,
the happiness of which so much depends on a
similarity of tastes, views, feelings, condition of
life, and other circumstances which it would be
madness to disregard. We have, therefore, no
idea — under the guise of a specious sanctity — of
teaching that religion is the only thing to be
thought of at such a crisis, and that if it be
secured, the intelligence of the scholar may be
wedded to the ignorance and stupidity of the
boor — the accomplishments of the refined to the.
vulgarities of the uneducated — and the buoyancy

THE CHIEF COXCEBH. 241

of youth or vigour of manhood to the infirmities
of age. By no means. All that we plead for is
that piety be deemed essential, that its claims
be considered supreme, and that assigning it no
subordinate or secondary place, we respect in this
proceeding, as in all others, the Divine injunction,
" Seek fiest the kingdom of God and His right-
eousness," convinced that if we do so, "all other
things shall be added" unto us.

The paramount importance of the religious
element to the right formation and proper im-
provement of the marriage relation will be still
more apparent when we consider the important
interests at stake. The welfare of the parties
united is deeply involved. It is at once the duty
and privilege of husband and wife to live as " heirs
together of the grace of life," to be the daily
promoters of each other's personal holiness and
spiritual joy, and thus help each other onward
to immortal gloiy. But, unless they are truly
pious, such a course is impossible, and that inti-

242 CONSOLATIONS OF MUTUAL PIETY.

macy, interchange, and tenderness of affection, on
which the happiness of conjugal life so much
depends, cannot possibly be enjoyed.

Eeligion, too, is necessary for the due regulation
of the affections, the government of the temper,
and the proper management of the entire house-
hold. It alone will qualify either the heads or
members of the family for the right discharge
of their respective duties, or enable them to " bear
one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of
Christ." And should the storms of adversity beat
upon them, sickness invade their dwelling, or
death snatch from the parents the objects of their
love, the aids and consolations of a mutual piety
will prove their strongest support in the hour of
their deepest despondency and distress.

When, too, at length, they themselves are called
upon to part, the terrors of death will be van-
quished by the power of faith; whilst, cheered
by the " hope which maketh not ashamed," they
will feel that "the decease about to be accom-
plished" is but a departure for the family man-

CONSOLATION AT PARTING. 243

sion in the heavenly home, and that, when a few
short years are over, or a few more months are
gone, they, being one in Cheist, will again be
one in fellowship, in that land of uprightness
where the spirits of the ransomed shall for ever
dwelL

2g4 X HEAVENLY-METOEDNESS.

CHAPTER IV.

THE HOPE OF HEAVENLY KECOGNITION AN INCENTIVE
TO THE CULTIVATION OF HEAVENLY -MINDED-

NESS.

The doctrine of the Saints' mutual recognition
hereafter is eminently calculated to wean the
believer from this world, and to concentrate his
thoughts upon "the hope which is laid up for
him in Heaven." Since he was born of God, he
has experienced but little sympathy from his
former friends. Earth-born in their nature, and
worldly in their desires, they have generally been
more inclined to despise him as a hypocrite, or
pity him as a fool, than make him a companion ;
whilst he, on the other hand, has been well
pleased to be rid of their society, in order that

HEAVENLY MUSINGS. 245

he might be able to meditate "without distrac-
tion " upon the things of the kingdom, and culti-
vate the life of God in his soul

TTig earth-ties have been broken, and, left well-
nigh alone below, his thoughts are naturally
directed to his friends and future associates above.
He feels that, through his union to Jesus, the
Head, he has also become united to all the mem-
bers of His glorified body. Therefore does he
love to think of those kindred spirits, his future
companions in the skies, and to meditate on their
present condition, their progressive attainments,
and their unending joys. But all such heavenly
musings would be vain if the doctrine of mutual
recognition were untrue; for in such a case we
could never expect to know those sainted ones
who are already with the Lord. Mutual com-
munion in the Church triumphant would thus be
impossible ; and like the stranger who, in a
mighty city, knows no one, the believer in
Heaven, though surrounded by millions, would be
the subject of the most chilling and depressing

246 RECOGNITION OF CHRIST.

loneliness. The New Jerusalem, for all social
purposes, would be to him a living solitude, devoid
of all those warm and gushing sympathies which
so cheer and hallow, so bless and beautify a
Home.

Nay, we believe that those who deny the doc-
trine of future recognition will find it impossible
to give any valid reason for believing that the
Saints hereafter will know the Saviour himselfl
The same faculties will certainly be necessary to
recognise the Man Christ Jesus as will be re-
quired for the recognition of His Saints, and the
powers which will enable us to individualise the
Elder Brother will also enable us to distinguish
the several members of His glorified household.
This doctrine of mutual recognition furnishes the
believer with the strongest inducements to set his
affections upon "the things which are above,"
and to have his conversation and citizenship in
Heaven ; for it assures him that, when he enters
Heaven he will become personally acquainted
with the Saviour and His Saints. Heaven, there-

THE BELIEVEE'S POSITION. 247

fore, instead of being a land of strangers, will be
the home of his warmest affections — the longed*
for dwelling-place of his sainted and dearest
friends.

And thus it is that he loves even now to think
much of that "goodly land." Like the heir to
a kingdom who has been called to his inheritance,
and who is on his way from a far country to take
possession of his throne, the believer who feels
himself to be the heir of God and a joint-heir
with Christ, does not allow himself to be engrossed
with the incidents of the wilderness, or to be
unduly moved by the annoyances of the road.
His course is homewards — his hope is within the
veil — his conversation is in Heaven — his fellow-
ship with the Saints above. He is looking up
and looking out for Jesus, he is longing for the
embraces of His Saints, he is thinking of the
beatific vision — of the heavenly welcome — of the
celestial mansions — of the blessed enthronisation
— of the angelic ministrations — of the undefiled
inheritance — of the united worship — of the un-

248 SAINTLY MEDITATION. *

broken fellowship — of the delightful services —
of the unfading diadem — of the everlasting reign,
and imperishable renown.

And as he thinks of these and such-like
"heavenly things," he is not only prepared, in
a transport of joyous hope, to address God, say-
ing, "I shall behold Thy face in righteousness,
I shall be satisfied when I awake with Thy like-
ness;" but, bounding over the brief interval
which separates him from the skies, he feels, with
the great apostle, as already "come unto Mount
Zion, the city of the living God" — as already
within " the General Assembly and Church of the
First-Born " above.

MUTUAL FOBBEABANCE. 249

CHAPTER V.

THE PKOSPECT OF KECOGNITION AND COMPANION-
SHIP IN HEAVEN CONDUCIVE TO MUTUAL FOR-
BEARANCE AMONGST CHRISTIANS ON EARTH.

The important topic which we have been dis-
cussing, when rightly improved, will cause those
who are " brethren in the Lord " to be careful to
cherish towards each other feelings of mutual
forbearance and tenderest love. " See that ye fall
not out by the way" was the admonition of Joseph
to his brethren, when they were about to depart
for the earthly Canaan; and such, too, is a most
appropriate advice for all to follow who are
travelling together to the heavenly land.

We are told that "Charity is the bond of
perfectness " and that "Love is the fulfilling of

250 CONQUERED BY LOVE.

the law," (CoL iii. 14; Eom. xiii. 10.) Nothing,
therefore, can be a greater barrier to the progress
of either personal or family piety than bickerings
amongst Christian families or friends. The Author
of Christianity is pre-eminently a God of Love,
and it is naturally expected that those who profess
to be His spiritual offspring should prove their
Divine lineage by exhibiting in their lives this
distinguishing feature of their Father's character.
" Behold how these Christians love one another,"
was the common remark of the heathen, as they
scrutinised the every -day life of the primitive
disciples. And the men who would have stood
unmoved by all the eloquence, and unconvinced
by all the arguments which were used, were won
by the heavenly charity these believers manifested
— they were conquered by their Love.

What proved so mighty then, would, if simi-
larly manifested, be equally potent still. Let the
members of the Church and the inmates of the
household but adopt and act upon the motto,
"Forbearing one another in Love" and both

LOVE IN THE FAMILY. 251

the Church and the family will soon present a
very different aspect to the world. Oh, how un-
seemly for the members of Christ, who are also
"members one of another," to be warring against
and wonying each other ! How painful it is to
behold the joint-heirs of Jesus Christ, as they
travel towards their inheritance, indulging in
mutual bickerings and strifes; and that, too, not
about "the purchased possession" itself, but re-
garding some despicable bauble which they
unhappily have stumbled on in the wilderness,
or because of some trifling incident which has
occurred upon the road. Oh ! will they never
learn to have compassion the one on the other,
and, because of mutual frailties, to bear one
another's burdens — yea, to "be kindly affectioned
one to another with brotherly love, in honour
preferring one another?" (Eom. xii. 10.)

Surely the precious truth we have in this
treatise been considering should lead to the
exercise of long-suffering and mutual forbear-
ance. Will those, then, who expect to pass an

252 EXPOSTULATION.

eternity of love together quarrel in time ? There
will be an unbroken harmony and ever-increasing
affection in the heavenly mansions. Why should
there be any jarring in the earthly home ? There
will be perfect unity and peace at the end of the
journey. Why should there be any discord or
misunderstandings by the way ? Yet, alas ! there
are many who, by their actions, practically say,
"Though our heavenly Father has all our lives
long been bearing with us, we are determined not
to bear with each other." If so, we must in faith-
fulness tell them that they had better lay aside
all pretensions to be God's children, and openly
renounce the Christianity they profane. Their
supposed discipleship is a delusion, and their
profession of piety excites only mockery and
scorn.

Let such listen to the language of the Holy
Ghost, as He declares, — "He that loveth not
knoweth not God, for God is love," (1 John iv. 8.)
And He adds, — " If a man say, I love God, and
hateth his brother, he is a liar : for he that loveth

NECESSITY OF LOVE. 253

not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he
love God whom he hath not seen?" (1 John
iv. 20.) " Whosoever hateth his brother is a mur-
derer ; and ye know that no murderer hath eternal
life abiding in him/' (1 John iii. 15.) "And this
commandment have we from him, That he who
loveth God loveth his brother also," (1 John iv. 21.)

Whilst in the body we shall all — to a greater
or less extent — be encompassed with infirmities,
and, consequently, shall require to cultivate a
spirit of mutual forbearance, and to exercise to-
wards each other that "Charity" which is "not
easily provoked, and thinketh no evil," but which
"suffereth long and is kind;" yea, which "beareth
all things," and "never faileth ." Such hallowed dis-
positions would be greatly promoted and strength-
ened if we were now to regard each other as
redeemed by the same blood — as partakers of the
same Holy Spirit — as members of the same mysti-
cal body— as heirs of the same heavenly glory —
and as children of the same reconciled God.

If we experienced, in all their soul-subduing

254 THE DIVINE SYMPATHY.

and sanctifying power, those gracious affections
referred to, we could not feel s at liberty to look
coldly on those whom our Heavenly Father loves
tenderly — for whom our Elder Brother prays
constantly — and whom the Holy Ghost will yet
sanctify wholly. Oh, no ! We would feel it to
be more in unison with our character, more con-
ducive to our happiness, and more animating to
our hopes, to imitate the Divine sympathy, and
to cherish towards all such those feelings of long-
suffering and tenderness manifested by the Deity
himself. By so doing our peace would be pro-
moted and our general felicity greatly increased.
Thus we would most effectually exhibit the nature
and power of " pure and undefiled religion" to the
family, and both manifest and extend its influence
in the Church and in the world; whilst, at the
same time, we would be adopting the most direct
means of increasing our own individual meetness
for the full enjoyment of the undying friendships
and indissoluble companionships of the heavenly
world.

CONCLUDING ENTREATY. 255

Eeflecting, then; that the scenes and shortcom-
ings, the disappointments and crosses, the strifes
and sorrows of time will soon be ended, and our
eternity besrun. let us put awav from us "all
bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour,
and evil-speaking, with all malice ;" and let us
learn to " be kind one to another, tender-hearted,
forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's
sake hath forgiven us."

256 QUALIFICATIONS FOE HEAVEN.

CHAPTER VL

QUALIFICATIONS NECESSARY FOR MEETING OUR

FRIENDS IN HEAVEN.

Before parting with our readers, we feel con-
strained in faithfulness to remind them, that
many have Friends in Heaven who may them-
selves never enter there, and, consequently, the
doctrine of recognition in glorjr can be legiti-
mately used for consolation only by those who
are themselves "fellow-citizens with the Saints,
and of the household of God."

As this is a vital matter, in regard to which
indifference is woTse than madness, and error
ruin, we claim the reader's undivided attention
whilst we proceed briefly to explain the qualifi-

CONDEMNED ALREADY. 257

cations necessary for being admitted hereafter to
the fellowship of our departed Saints.

First, then, we observe that before we can meet
our Friends in Heaven, we must be delivered from
condemnation, and so rescued from Hell. Our
natural state is most awful,— for it is one of
condemnation; and this is a truth which is not,
we fear, generally well understood. Many are
willing to acknowledge that they are sinners, and
even sinners when they are born ; but this, though
the truth, is not the whole truth. We come into
this world not only sinners, but condemned sin-
ners; for the decision of the Judge himself is
this : " He that believeth not is condemned al-
ready," (John iii. 18 ;) and we elsewhere read,
" By the offence of one judgment came upon all
men to condemnation/' (Eom. v. 18.) In our
natural state, we are declared to be " the children
of wrath," (Eph. ii. 3,) and " under the CURSE,"
(Gal iii. 10;) and " all the world' 9 are pronounced
" guilty before God" (Eom. iii. 19.) Our here-
ditary position is that of " aliens from the Coin-

258 THE RANSOM.

monwealth of Israel, and strangers from the
Covenants of Promise, having no hope, and with-
out God in the world," (Eph. ii. 12.)

Before, therefore, we are prepared to meet our
Friends in Heaven, we must be delivered from
our condemned condition. Our guilt must be can-
celled and our pardon obtained. But who can

m

thus deliver? Jesus the Well-Beloved of the
Father. Long since He cried, " Deliver from going
down to the pit ; I have found a ransom," (Job
xxxiii 24 ;) and that ransom was His own blood :
see 1 Pet. i. 18, 19. Whilst Jesus says to the
condemned one, " Thou hast destroyed thyself,"
He also adds, " In Me is thy help found," (Hos.
xiii. 9.) Get, then, sinner, united to the Saviour;
for once that you are in Him you are for ever
safe ; because the gladsome announcement of the
gospel is, " There is now no condemnation to
them which are IN Christ Jesus," (Eom. viii. 1 ;)
for " Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of
the law, being made a curse for us," (GaL iii. 13.)
" He was delivered for our offences," (Eom. iv. 25.)

AN IMPORTANT DISTINCTION. 259

" He was wounded for our transgressions, He was
bruised for our iniquities," (Isa. liii. 5,) and, there-
fore, when we get into Him, we obtain " redemp-
tion through His blood — the forgiveness of sins,
according to the riches of His grace," (Eph. i. 7.)

But, again, before we can meet our Friends in
Glory, we must obtain a right to enter Heaven,
and a title to remain for ever there. Eedemption
from Hell and a right to Heaven are often looked
upon as one and the same thing. But this is a
mistake. Though they be twin blessings of the
New Covenant, they are in themselves quite dis-
tinguishable, and ought never, to be confounded;
for God could, had He pleased, have saved men
from " the worm that never dies," and from " the
fire that never shall be quenched," without, in
addition to this, raising them to Heaven, and
blessing them with mansions in the skies.

In human law, and under human governments,
it has frequently happened that a condemned
felon has had a free pardon presented to him;
but it seldom if ever happens that, in addition

260 WHAT SAVES FROM HELL.

to experiencing his sovereign's clemency, he is
also raised to princely dignity, and put in posses-
sion of a sceptre and a throne. Now, what so
rarely occurs under the governments of men, is
continually taking place under the government of
God; for, on every poor sinner to whom a free
pardon has been granted, there are also bestowed
"the heavenly inheritance" and an "unfading
crown." Still the two blessings are in themselves
by no means identical; and it may, perhaps, serve
to make the distinction which exists betwixt them
all the more palpable, if we state, that whilst
every believer is both saved from Hell and raised
to Heaven, yet that he is saved from Hell on
account of one thing, and gets Heaven on account
of quite a different thing. The one thing which
saves from Hell is Christ's Sufferings or Atone-
ment; and that other thing which entitles to
Heaven is Christ's services or active obedience.
Or, in the language of our older divines, the
dying of the Lord Jesus rescues us from eternal
death, whilst the doing of the Lord Jesus obtains
for us eternal life.

WHAT GETS HEAVEN. 261

This will be all the more clearly understood,
if it be recollected that it was for perfect active
obedience that Heaven was at first promised to
us in Adam our Covenant-head. Now, though
Adam failed in giving such obedience, God, being
an unchangeable God, did not cease to require it.
He did not alter the condition of eternal life ; for
the demand still made was, — "Do this, if you
will live." " Keep the commandments, if you will
enter life." But what was impossible for fallen
man to do personally, has been done for him by
his Surety. The Lord Jesus, as the Second Adam,
has done what the first Adam failed to do; and
has, by so doing, gained for His people that
Heaven which the first Adam lost. As Heaven,
then, was at first promised for obedience, so for
obedience it is still obtained. Not, indeed, the
obedience of the sinner — for he has none to give —
but the obedience of the Saviour. What we lost
in Adam, is regained in Christ. The gates of
Paradise are again thrown open, that whosoever
is robed in the garments of Messiah's merits, may
enter boldly and eat abundantly of the tree of life.

262 THE HEAVENLY TRAINING. .

Oh, then, sinner, lay hold of Jesus as Jehovah'
Tsidkenu, "the Lord our Eighteousness," and
you will find that, whilst His blood saves you from
the regions of eternal darkness, His obedience will
furnish you with an indisputable title to the realms
of everlasting light.

The last qualification which we shall mention,
as required for intercourse with our Friends in
Heaven, is Personal Holiness. We are solemnly
assured that "without holiness no man shall see
the Lord" (Heb. xii. 14) And so also, without
holiness we shall never mingle with the Eedeemed
above. Man must be trained for the society in
which he is to move. Now, as the boor is not
fitted for the companionship of princes, nor the
illiterate for the avocations of the learned — as the
deaf cannot enjoy the melody of sounds, nor the
blind the pleasures of vision, so neither could
the unholy be happy in Heaven. We must be
educated for the society, and trained for the
employments of the Saints in glory, else we
would be miserable in their presence, and unable

CHRIST OTJE SANCTIFICATION. 263

either to sympathise or share in those hallowed
exercises which afford them perpetual delight

Hence it is that the Bible so urgently presses
upon us the necessity of being entirely changed
in heart and life. Having declared to us that our
hearts naturally are "deceitful above ail things,
and desperately wicked" (Jer. xvii. 9,) and that
we are altogether " carnal, sold under sin" (Eom.
vii. 14 ;) it assures us that we must get " new
hearts" (Ezek. xviii. 31,) and be "born again"
(John iii. 3, 5, 7) before we can even * see " the
kingdom of God.

Now, He who has secured our redemption from
ruin, and procured for us a title to Heaven, does
also undertake to give us a "meetness" for the
society of the skies. Jesus Christ is of God made
unto us, not only Righteousness, but Sanctification
also, (1 Cor. i. 30.) And as, by the Righteousness
of Christ imputed, we are justified, so by the grace
of Christ imparted, through the agency of His
Spirit, we are sanctified. He that wrought out for
us a divine righteousness, does also work in us a

564 HOW TO OBTAIN THE QUALIFICATIONS.

divine and personal holiness. He re-stamps upon
us His own likeness; for beholding in Him, as
in a glass, the glory of the Lord, " we are changed
into the same image," (2 Cor. iii. 18.) Thus becom-
ing transcripts of His character, and reflectors of
His spiritual beauty, we shall eventually be com-
plete in holiness, and be presented " faultless
before the presence of His glory with exceeding
joy," (Jude 24.)

And now, dear reader, before we part, let us
once more urge upon you the unutterable import-
ance of securing the qualifications we have de-
scribed. Oh, recollect that the Blood of Christ
alone can ransom you — that the Eighteousness of
Christ alone can clothe you — that the Holiness of
Christ alone can fit you for the society and ser-
vices of the Eedeemed ! Let us, then, surrender
ourselves immediately, entirely, and for all eter-
nity, to Jesus Christ, and He will wash, and
clothe, and sanctify us, and so qualify us, both for
unending fellowship with Himself, and for the
longed-for society of Our Friends in Heaven.

APPENDIX.

I.— THE DOCTRINE OP MUTUAL RECOGNITION AFTER DEATH
A TRUTH ACKNOWLEDGED BY THE HEATHEN.

Homer — who, in his immortal Epics, is to be understood
as expressing the views and feelings of his country and
age — frequently speaks of the state of the departed, and
uniformly describes them as recognising each other and
conversing together in their disembodied condition. Thus,
when Ulysses is permitted to visit the world of spirits,
his mother, Anticleia recognises him, and makes known
to him a variety of circumstances regarding his family.
{Vide Odyssey y X 84, 151, et seq.) So also the soul of
Achilles recognises Ulysses. (Odyssey, X 470.) The Pro-
phet Teiresias not only recognises him, but predicts his
coming fortunes. In the 24th book of the Odyssey, we
find Patroclus, Antilochus, Ajax, and Achilles, in Hades,
assembled together in conversation ; and on this occasion
Achilles recognises Agamemnon, from whom he receives
an account of what had occurred on earth since his de-
cease. Ulysses, too, sees in Hades the souls of the suitors

266 APPENDIX.

he had slain. These are at once recognised, and Agamem-
non converses with one of them regarding certain inci-
dents in their former lives. Achilles, too, talks with
Ulysses, comparing his former with his present state,
and wishes to know from his earthly visitant whether
his son strove to " rival his father's godlike deeds."

So also we find Sophocles, in his Antigone, representing
that ill-fated woman, when about to endure a cruel death,
exclaiming —

" Oh ! my deep dungeon ! my eternal home !
Whither I go to join my kindred dead ;
But still I have great hopes I shall not go
Unwelcomed to my father, nor to thee,
My mother ! — Dear to thee, Eteocles,
Still shall I ever be."— Antigone, 809-815.

JSschylus, in his Persce, represents the soul of Darius'
as still possessing the thoughts and feelings of his former
life, and, in the address which he delivers, this departed
spirit is exhibited as retaining a perfect recollection of his
earthly history.

We find Socrates, in his Apology before his judges,
thus bearing testimony to the doctrine of mutual recog-
nition and companionship in the life to come: — "Will
it not be unspeakably blessed, when escaped from those
who call themselves judges, to appear before those who
truly deserve the name, such as Minos, Rhadamanthus,
JEacus, and Triptolemus, and to associate with all who
have maintained the cause of truth and righteousness? »
or again to converse with Orpheus, and Musseus, and
Hesoid, and Homer ; at how much would any of you
purchase this 1 Be assured, I would choose to die often

APPENDIX. 267

if these things be true ; for to me delightful would be
the communion with Palamedes, Ajax the son of Tela-
mon, and others of the ancionts who died in consequence
of an unjust sentence pronounced upon them. What
would one give, Judges, to converse with him who led
the great armament to Troy, or with Ulysses, or with
thousands more whom one might name, of men and
women, with whom to discourse and associate would be
an inconceivable enjoyment?"

Virgil, in the sixth book of his great Epic, describes
jEneas as visiting the realms of the departed, and as there
recognising, and being recognised, by the spirits he met.

"The gladsome ghosts in circling troops attend,
And with unwearied eyes behold their friend :
Delight to hover near, and long to know
What business brought him to the realms below."

jEneid, vi. 655, Ac.

The various ' parties he had known on earth are seen
by the Trojan hero. At length he is brought to his father
AnchiseSj who, on descrying his son,

" Meets him with open arms and falling tears,

' Welcome,' he said, ' the gods' undoubted race,
Oh long expected to my dear embrace.
'Tis true, computing time, I now believed
The happy day approached— nor are my hopes deceived."'

jEnfid, vi. 931-939.

Cicero ( Vide Ciceronis De JSenectute, cap. 23) expresses
his belief in the doctrine we have been considering in
the following terms : — " I feel impelled by the desire of
joining the society of my two departed friends, your
illustrious fathers, whom I reverenced and loved, I

268 APPENDIX.

desire not only to meet those whom I myself knew, but
those also of whom I have read or heard, or regarding
whom I myself have written. Oh, illustrious day, when
I shall go hence to that divine council and assembly of
souls, when I shall escape from this crowd and rabble ;
for I shall go, not only to those illustrious men of whom
I have before spoken, but also to my Cato, than whom
one more excellent or illustrious in goodness was never
born. He himself consoled me, judging that our distance
and parting would not long continue."

Thus we find that the poets and philosophers of both
Greece and Borne comforted themselves with the hope
of recognition and reunion after death. They did not
consider that death destroyed either friends or friend-
ships ; and they looked forward to spending an eternity
of love with them in the Elysian plains, the Hesperian
gardens, or the far-off Islands of the Blest.

But a belief in future recognition has not been con-
fined to the ancient Pagans. The Heathen of modern
times hold the same doctrine. Thus Dr Robertson, in
his History of America, informs us that, in some places,
"upon the death of a Cazique, or American Chief, a
certain number of his wives, of his favourites, and of his
slaves, was put to death, and interred with him, that he
might appear with the same dignity in his future station,
and be waited upon by the same attendants as formerly,
and that many of the deceased person's retainers offer
themselves as voluntary victims, and court the privilege
of accompanying their deceased master as a high dis-
tinction." The burning of Hindoo widows was founded
on a similar belief. We are told that "the Officiating

APPENDIX. 269

Brahmin causes the widow to repeat the formulas, in
which she prays that, as long as fourteen Indrus' reign,
or as many years as there are hairs on her head, she may
abide in heaven with her husband." Porphyry tells that
the Indian Gymnosophists, or barefooted philosophers,
were wont to send messages to their departed friends with
those who were about to commit suicide. The Natives
of Dahomey, too, entertain the same belief ; and it is
a common practice with the king of that country to send
to his forefathers an account of any remarkable event.
He does this by delivering the message to the person who
may be nearest to him at the time, and then orders his
head to be chopped off immediately, so that he may serve
as a courier to convey the intelligence to his friends in
the land of spirits. Dr Leland tells us that, in Guinea,
when a king dies, many are slain, that they may again
live with him in another world ; and that in 1710, when
the Prince of Morava, on the coast of Coromandel, died,
forty-seven of his wives were burned with his corpse, so
that they might associate with their husband in the next
life. Similar customs and ideas have been found existing
amongst the Danes, the Chinese, the Brazilians, the people
of Macassar and Japan, all which, though often denied
by superstitious and cruel rites, betoken the aspirations
of the human spirit, and prove that humanity, even in
its most degraded phases, still retains the purest of its
social affections, and longs for everlasting fellowship with
those it loves.

270 APPENDIX.

n.— MUTUAL RECOGNITION AFTER DEATH A DOCTRINE OP

THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH.

Had our space permitted, we had intended to have
presented to our readers the views of the Primitive and
Keformed Churches, and of the most eminent modern
theologians, on the subject we have been considering.
We would have done so, not for the purpose of proving
the doctrine — for the Scriptures alone can do that — but
in order to show that, as stated at page 26, this truth
has been " the object of an almost universal faith." As
our limits are, however, nearly exhausted, we must con-
tent ourselves with briefly noticing a few of the customs
of the Primitive Church which refer particularly to the
subject of future recognition.*

Nothing was more remarkably characteristic of the
members of the early Church than the love of their dead.
Their respect for them was shown by the sacrifices and
dangers they often incurred, in order to secure for them
an honourable burial ; and their strong affection was
manifested by their habit of repairing, even at night,
to the places where the bodies of their departed were
interred. They thus tried to realise a secret and invi-

* We may mention that the most eminent of the Fathers held the
doctrine of future recognition. Amongst the Reformers, Luther, Calvin,
Zuinglius, Melancthon, Thomas Becon, Scaliger, Olevianus, Ursinus, and
others, bear most explicit testimony to its truth ; -whilst, amongst modern
divines, we find Archbishop Tillotson, Bishop Hall, Howe, Baxter, Turre-
tine, Rutherford, Bunyan, Paley, Doddridge, Edwards, Fenelon, John
Newton, Knapp, Dick, Chalmers, Carson, Wardlaw, and Carlile— not to
mention living theologians — all expressing their conviction of its truth
«nd rejoicing in the prospect of its realisation.

APPENDIX. 271

Bible communion with their deceased ones. By thus
endeavouring to come, as it were, into a sort of spiritual
contact with their dead, they not only cherished the
hope of being restored to them, but this continued
communion with their beloved at their graves generated
often a strong desire for death. It caused them to laugh
at persecution, and to long for martyrdom as the most
direct means of enjoying not only the glory of the heavenly
world, but also renewed companionship with their departed
Saints. They rejoiced to think that they were still united
to them, and wished, even whilst on earth, to keep up
with them a conscious communion. Hence they loved
to have their burying-places around their churches, that
it might be seen that the congregation of the dead was
still united to the congregation of the living. Neander,
too, informs us that the anniversary of the decease of
their friends was observed as their birthday to a nobler
existence ; that on this day " it was usual to partake of
the Supper of the Lord, in the consciousness of an in-
separable communion with those who had died in Christ ;"
and, he adds, " a gift was laid on the altar in their name,
as if they were still living members of the Church." The
same eminent historian tells as that, when multitudes
were swept away at Carthage by a desolating pestilence,
Cyprian said to his Church — "We ought not to mourn
for those who, by the summons of the Lord, are delivered
from the world, since we know they are not lost, but sent
before us — that they have only taken their leave of us,
in order to precede us. We may long for them as we
do for those who are on a distant voyage, but not lament
them. Why do we not ourselves wish to depart out of

272 APPENDIX.

this world, or why do we mourn our departed ones as lost ?
Why do we not hasten to see our country, to greet our
parents ? There await us a vast multitude of dear ones —
fathers, mothers, and children — who are already secure
of their own salvation, and anxious only for ours. What
a mutual joy to them and us, when we shall come into
their presence and embrace ! " — Neand&ta Church History,
voL i. pp. 462, 463. London edition. 1850.

THEEtfD,

SANSON AND CO., PBINTEBS, EDINBURGH.

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